The new empire
by KallenViBrittania
Summary: The black knights betrayal was undoubtedly one of the biggest turning points, but what if it had went down differently? With Lelouch no longer holding a mask in place?
1. Betrayal

A/N Another new story? Yup, I've got tons of ideas for code geass and many others floating around in my head and this is one of them, I don't think a code geass story quite like this one has come out yet so yay I'm first.

Lelouch sat in his room staring at the chess board on his glass table, thoughts of guilt and failure filled his mind.

'Nunnally?

Gone.

Shirley?

Gone.

Euphie?

Gone.

C.C.?

Amnesia.

Suzaku?

Traitor.

Rolo?

Fake.

Sayoko?

Missing... maybe dead.

Jeramiah?

Don't know.

Kallen?

G-

no... Kallen is still here, she's still here and she's staring at me. What is that look in her eyes? Pity? Concern? Something else entirely? I don't know.'

"Lelouch... are you ok? Is there anything I can get you?"

"A time machine for me to go back and redo my rebellion would be nice, or maybe I could use it to kill the emperor when I know he would be vulnerable, or maybe I could just use it to commit suicide before I start the rebellion."

Kallen seemed to laugh dryly at the joke. She was fairly calm on the outside, but on the inside?

She looked away.

'He shouldn't be like this, seeing someone normally so strong and proud look like this and talk like that doesn't feel right at all. I want to help you Lelouch, I do, but I don't think I can really do anything unless I hear three words from you, three little words that would mean the world to me. You could lie to me, steal from me, use me and abuse me if only you would love me.'

Just then the intercom came to life.

"Zero sir, your presence is requested in cargo bay eleven. Commander Ohgi and most of your advisors say it's urgent."

Lelouch let out a sigh. He reached underneath the couch to pull out a suitcase that had a bottle of vodka in it. Unscrewing the cap and taking a swig he pulled back immediately. His nose crinkled as he stared malevolently at the bottle.

"Why would anyone drink this crap? It burns like hell and tastes bitter as can be."

"Umm...

"Right Ohgi." He interrupted then sighed. "Why the Fuck not?"

Tossing it hap hazardly behind him and throwing his mask on he walked over to the door.

"Coming?"

She gave a nod and walked behind them reaching and entering the elevator not Long after and making their way down. Lelouch in his helmet looked discreetly at Kallen.

'First Shirley now her... no I can't think like that. Kallen is strong and if anyone can survive this it's her. I need to save at least one person I care about. I wish I had some sort of sign Kallen, some way to tell if you felt the same way about me I do about you. I would rather keep it a secret but either one of us could be next. And you deserve to know, I've kept so much from her. It's the least I can do to tell her the truth about something.'

The elevator came to a stop and Lelouch held his hand out in front of her to speak for a moment.

"Kallen, there's something I have to tell you, i, I like you, as in, more than just a friend, I don't expect these feelings to be returned at all but you deserve to know this."

Her head snapped towards him.

'He likes me back? He likes me back!? He likes me back!'

She smiled as they walked into the cargo bay.

"Well in that case it's only fair I let you know that I-"

Spotlights flashed upon them and the two of them stopped to cover their faces from the blinding light.

"ITS OVER ZERO! WE KNOW ABOUT YOUR GEASS!"

"You think you can use us like that!? Think again!"

Lelouch's eyes readjusted first and narrowed as he looked at the cat walk above. Most of the upper echelon of the Black knights where pointing guns at him. Up there was also a certain snake of a prince along with a purple haired princess and everyone's favorite traitor along with a few Britannian soldiers.

His fists clenched. This was the worst possible situation at the moment.

Kallen recovered and ran in front of Lelouch to protect him.

"Wait let him explain!"

"Kallen don't tell me he's geassed you too!"

"No just give him a chance!"

"He caused the SAZ massacre and killed Euphemia!"

"YOU THINK I MEANT TO!?"

Lelouch took off his mask.

"You think I _wanted_ that to happen!?"

"You geassed her!"

"It was an accident!"

He threw his mask to the ground and it shattered. He held his head in his hands.

"It was an accident..."

"How?" Tamaki asked

"Change is nature and nature is change. As supernatural as geass might be it still follows that law. My geass mutated on the spot. It became permanently active. I was trying to warn her about other people that might have it, what it could do, I needed to get my point across so the example I gave her was..." He choked a sob.

"To kill the Japanese." Tohdoh finished.

Lelouch merely nodded.

There was complete silence, Suzaku's jaw dropped, Kallens eyes went wide, Cornelia's eyes watered and the black knights where temporarily shocked, wondering if they where doing the right thing.

"You used it on us!" Chiba.

"Hahahahahahaha! Oh that is rich. You really are morons with no common sense."

"Hey!"

"Let me give you a reason as to why. If I had geassed you to be loyal to me or anything like that, then how in the hell are you trying to turn back stabbing traitor on me? Moreover if I had used it on you then you wouldn't even be able to see my geass as a conceivable threat because my command would have stopped you. So yeah common sense you idiots."

They all flinched, that was true, very true, it made sense. Had they been duped? Perhaps, but one major question had to be asked.

"Why? Why do all of this? You where a prince, you still are, you could have went back to Britannia and lived a cozy life so why start this rebellion?" Ohgi asked

"Why?" He whispered to himself. "At first it was Vengeance for my mother's murder, then it evolved into wanting to protect N-unnally from the emperor, then after Japan became my home Britannia took it away. They took my home away again and I wanted to get it back not just for me but for everyone that called it home."

He spoke louder this time.

"It's because I watched my own mother and sister gunned down in front of me and when I looked for help from my family I got nothing but a cold shoulder and a dose of Darwin is propaganda!"

Cornelia flinched away.

"It's because I walked through streets turned into rivers of blood and guts, filled with smoke for days looking for someone to help, I nearly died and so did Nunnally!"

Suzaku slouched. He had left them at the embassy but he knew Lelouch would go somewhere else. He didn't know it was this bad though.

"My entire life since I was ten I was living a lie! I was miserable and I still am! All I wanted to do was protect Nunnally! All I wanted to do was find out why my mom had to die! All I wanted was to have a home and for people to care about me or at least more than their own selfish desires!"

He took a deep breath and continued, his voice softer now.

"They're all gone and it's my fault... Euphie, Shirley, Nunnally, mother."

He fell to the floor on his knees.

"They're gone and I'm to blame, I only have Kallen left, everyone that gets close to me gets hurt."

"... shoot me, please."

"What? No!"

Kallen dashed to his side.

"Lelouch calm down, please!"

"No, I'm done, your all I've got left and I'm not letting you die for me."

"We aren't going to do it Lelouch"

He looked up at the black knights who had lowered their weapons.

"Oh come on just kill me!"

Shneizle obliged.

"As you wish."

He pulled out a pistol and aimed at Lelouch, center mass.

Seeing this Lelouch pushed Kallen away from him.

Shneizle fired a single bullet ripping through his chest. Kallen had tried to run back to him but was too late, receiving several blood splatters across her body. A few drops of blood hit her face, some of it drizzling down. As Lelouch leaned back she caught him. Holding onto him like the most fragile and precious gift in the world and laid him down gently. She cried and shook her head, she ran her bloodied hands through his hair. He was gasping for breath, choking on his blood.

He stopped moving.

Tears steamed freely from her face, she grasped at his motionless form, holding him tight against her own body. She let out a single wail of emotional agony before dissolving into a sobbing mess.

Sadness.

'He can't be gone.'

Denial.

'But he is, he's gone and I'll never be able to tell him how much I had loved him.' She leaned over and placed a feather light kiss on his forehead.

Acceptance.

Her eyes narrowed, gently setting down his body, she stood up. And in a spit second pulled out her pistol and pointed her pistol at the bloodthirsty prince. A shot rang out.

Rage.


	2. Life?

Blood splattered as the snake of a prince got his hand shot, the gun he held clattered to the ground, a single bullet casing hit the floor. Shock and silence filled the room, Kallen however was confused. Her barrel wasn't smoking and she still had a full clip of seven for her pistol...

'So who shot the bastard?'

She turned to where the gunshot resonated from and was quite surprised to see none other than the witch of Britannia was the white prince's assailant. Cornelia's eyes where watering her pistol trembled slightly in her shaking hand. The royal guards reacted ready to protect their respective charges from each other.

"You knew." It was quiet, barely even a whisper, and yet it seemed to be a thunderous yell echoing through a canyon.

"You knew all of this didn't you? You used me, you used Euphie, you used Nunnally and Lelouch, all for your sick vendetta to get rid of anyone that didn't fit into your own little utopia!"

"In order for there to be peace, sacrifices must be made."

"So you manipulate and murder your own family!?"

While this argument was going on she looked back down at her prince. Blood stained his once impeccable white skin and black outfit, his wavering eyes stared at her, his lightly rising and falling chest-

'Wait, what?'

One of his arms reached out to her, hand open trying to reach her.

"HE'S ALIVE!" 'He's alive and needs my help!'

Forgetting everything around her she quickly picked him up and rushed to the elevator pressing the button that would take her to the medical wing of the ship.

"Kill them!"

Gunshots where heard and several bullets struck near her. She turned her head and saw that damn prince order his men to kill the both of them, obviously hearing her shout of "He live's".

A fire fight broke out between the two members of royalty and their entourage with the black knights fleeing. It was the last thing she saw before the elevator closed and began its accent to the hospital. Lelouch was grasping to hold on to her, as if holding on to her was the only thing letting his body live, but it would not last, if she didn't get Lelouch medical help right now...

He wasn't going to make it...

She rushed to the med bay the second the doors opened, reaching her destination in less than a minute she ran into one of the immediate care rooms, setting his body down on the bed as gently as possible. He then sprinted to the intercom.

"Rakshata can you hear me!?"

" _Lower your voice girl, you nearly blew my ear drums out."_

"I don't give a fuck! Prince Shneizle shot Zero! I need you to work your magic. NOW!"

 _"Shit, alright keep pressure on the wound, keep as much of his blood in his body as possible. I'll be up in a few minutes."_

Kallen didn't wait any longer than that and immediately put her hands atop the hole in his body with several sterilized towels to help. Standing there became her very existence for several minutes, just as she was starting to worry however, Rakshata came through jogging through the door with a box of surgery tools, goggles, plastic gloves and civilian cough masks.

(The following scene ends up being a bit grotesque. If your disturbed by this skip til you see bold letters)

"Keep applying pressure, I need him as stable as possible."

The Indian woman got out a pair of tweezers and a flashlight.

"I'm going to test your reaction time, when I say mark, you say sync. Got it?"

A nod.

"Mark."

"Sync."

"Mark-"

"Sync"

Rakshata turned to her box and opened it. "Good, now when I say go," Rakshata put a pair of surgical gloves on. "remove your hands and the towels as fast as you can," she then slipped a cough mask over her mouth and goggles over her eyes. "when I say stop, put the towels back and continue applying pressure." She got out a plastic tray. "The veins will have clotted and capillaries frozen by now," she re sterilized the tweezers and clicked the flashlight on, turning back to Kallen and walking to the other side of the bed. "But if the bullet shell hit an artery, It'le be raining blood from the mounting pressure of blood buildup, so keep your cool and be ready, three..."

Kallen tensed up.

"...two..."

Her fingers clenched around the towels.

"One... GO!"

She pulled the towels away and sure enough blood gushed from the wound, leaking onto the bed and soaking his clothes, the blood loss was making him turn even more pale and sickly. His breathing grew even more labored.

But she wouldn't have to take it for long though.

"Stop!"

"Did you get the bullet?"

"No... this whole thing just turned to shit!

"What's wrong!?"

"The bullet didn't hit a minor artery, it hit the worst possible one, it hit the femoral artery, it's one of the largest carriers of blood in the body, and now he has a giant fucking hole in it. DAMNIT! WHY CANT ANYTHING BE EASY!?"

Rakshata sighed.

"Look there's lots of things that can go wrong if I do this, all of them ultimately lead to us soaked in blood and a dead man. I can't put him under any anesthesia, his blood pressure is shot to hell as it is, pun not intended, and he will be under so much pain when I try to get the bullet out he's going to jostle around, and that could lead to making an even bigger fucking hole than the one he's got."

"So what do we do?" Kallens breath was shakey and hoarse.

'I can't lose Lelouch, I've lost my brother, my mother, my father, my friends and comrades either hate me for being a terrorist or betrayed him and I respectively. I can't lose the love of my life too, please...

Don't let him die.'

 **(BOLD LETTERS...)**

 **A/N THE SUSPENSE IS MOUNTING!**


	3. Confessions

Rakshata sighed and ran her right hand through her hair while her left was on her hip. She had an idea, it was crude and primitive, but it worked.

'Hey if it ain't broken, don't fix it.'

"There is one thing we could try." The Indian spoke.

Kallens head turned to look at Rakshata, hopeful.

"I need you to keep his attention on you, and off the pain. I can apply pain killers via injection but not enough to stop some... discomfort. Talk to him, make him laugh, whatever you need to do, if he concentrates on the pain it's going to feel even worse. And if it hurts enough he's going to move, and if he moves it could make the wound get progressively worse, then he will feel more pain. And the vicious cycle will continue, until we either fix him, which will continue to become more difficult, or he dies, which becomes more and more likely.

Kallen looked down on the bloody, barely breathing mess that was Lelouch VI Britannia. She needed him, more than he knew, more than he might ever know if this keeps up, she would do just about anything to save him at this point. Being asked to talk to him, make him laugh, help him feel less pain. She could and would do that any place, any time.

'I just hope I can do it well enough to give him a chance at life.'

They both got back into their respective positions, Kallen gently began to wake him up with soft words and light nudges. Meanwhile Rakshata got the pain killers ready. After a few moments the eyes of the black prince opened and looked at Kallen.

"Lelouch, can you hear me."

He gave a light, nearly invisible nod.

"Listen, Lelouch, we need to get that bullet out of you and stitch you up, if we don't your going to die. You need to stay still and focus on me or its only going to get worse. Ok?

He gave another nod. "I feel so, so, cold, and numb, I'm tired... very tired, and my mouth tastes like metal." His voice was a hoarse whisper.

Rakshata applied the pain killer with a shot, and then prepared the tweezers and flashlight again.

"Look at me Lelouch, your strong, you can get through this, you WILL get through this."

"I don't think I can kallen, I, I'm too weak."

Rakshata began her work and he winced and groaned.

"Lelouch, I never got to tell you, I tried but we where interrupted, first by C.C. and then by the black knights, I, Lelouch I like you too."

His eyes widened and he stopped showing signs of pain.

"I always had an idea, that I did like you in that way, but I was scared. I felt that with every one thing I figured out or you told me... two more secrets popped up. I couldn't figure it out, I felt I didn't know who you really where. And because I was afraid, I resisted my own wishes to admit my feelings not only to you but to myself and I'm sorry. But I'm not scared anymore Lelouch, I know who you are, your not just Lelouch VI Britannia the vengeful prince, your not just Lelouch Lamperouge the arrogant school boy, your not even Zero the masked terrorist, freedom fighter, revolutionary...

Your... well your you... your a wonderful, kindhearted person, your a brother, friend, and human being, someone who wants to make the world a better place..."

Lelouch had been enraptured by Kallen, her words where mesmerizing, he was happy that there was at least one person who understood him.

"I guess what I'm trying to say Lelouch, is that, I..." She swallowed a lump in her throat.

"...I love you." Her eyes widened.

Lelouch said those three words.

"I love you too." They smiled, Kallen gently grasped his right hand and he gave a light squeeze back.

"Promise me you'll live."

Lelouch gave a playful smirk, one given to a close friend in a joke, very different from his usual, arrogant ones.

"You do realize that 'man of miracles' thing is a load of bullshit right?"

Kallen scowled. "That's not funny, this is a life or death situation Lelouch, I couldn't handle it if you died."

He winced. "Sorry, kind of a bad moment to say that, I'll do everything I can to get better soon yeah?"

Her expression softened and she smiled again. "You better, if we're going to be boyfriend and girlfriend I expect to be taken out on dates. Can't do that with your skinny ass in bed all day."

He chuckled. "True, true..." He trailed off. Only for both of them to notice that Rakshata had finished her work, he still felt like shit and wanted to nap forever but hey he wasn't bleeding to death so that was a start.

"Kallen, with Rakshata as my witness I hereby appoint you as the defacto CEO of the black knights, congratulations."

Kallen was gob smacked while Rakshata looked amused smoking her pipe.

"What! No Lelouch I can't do that! Your the only one with the ability to lead us! We're still in the middle of a war zone and could still be attacked at any moment!"

"Kallen look at me." She stopped and awaited his next words, such devotion and loyalty where damn near impossible to come by without buying it.

"Do I look like I'm in any condition to do anything?"

"No... you look like shit."

"Exactly my point, I'm in no condition to lead the black knights at the moment, I'm not asking you to carry out a major offensive or anything, I just need you to keep things from hitting the fan til I can do it myself. Your the only person in the world I can trust to do that, there's just Jeramiah that could do it reasonably but between you and him he doesn't come remotely close. I just need someone I can trust to hold the fort for a little bit, can you do that?

She beamed at him and straightened out, pride at the immense trust and responsibility swelled.

"You can count on me!"

"I know, that's why I picked you." He looked at the clock, it was nearly two AM, and he was tired.

"I need some sleep, will you stay with me? At least for a little while?"

"Of course I will."

He had fallen asleep barely a minute later, she took the opportunity to kiss his forehead one last time.

"... king and queen sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G~"

Kallen gave the Indian a glare, which was returned with nothing but a cocky smirk.

Kallen wanted to shove that damn pipe down her throat, but she didn't...

Mostly because she had to admit the song made her think about performing certain activities with a certain violet eyed boy and grew more red than the Guren.

She stayed there in deep thought for about half an hour, nothing in particular, Ashford, mom, dad, brother, and then Lelouch.

She developed an itch on her nose, when she went to scratch it she got blood all over her face. Looking down at herself she noticed she had blood all over her uniform.

She sighed. "I'm gona go clean up, I'll be back in a bit."

She got up and exited the room only to bump into someone, she fell down with eyes closed and rubbed her now sore butt.

"Apologies lady Kozuki, I didn't see you coming, I was looking for lord zero but can't find him, I've been hearing rumors that he was wounded in battle, so I decided to search here."

'I know that voice.'

She opened her eyes to see a familiar Britannian offering his hand.

"Orange boy?"


	4. Taking Command

A/N I need reviews, more reviews makes me happy, which makes me update, which makes you happy, and makes you review. It's a mutual relationship, symbiosis!

"Orange boy?"

Oh how he despised that name, but he would tolerate it, his lord gave it to him on the day he began his March of justice so he would do his best to see, hear, and ware the name with pride...

He still hated it though, it was an embarrassing nickname.

Before he could speak however, Kallen stood up and began to talk.

"Never thought I'd be so happy to see you, and yes he's hurt." Her face darkened and she growled. "But not from combat, traitors."

"Who dared!"

"A grand majority of the black knights upper echelon are no longer trustworthy. Only Rakshata, C.C. and myself are still on his side for certain. That fuck face prince shit-zle convinced them to double cross him, they didn't shoot him but they where ready too, that award goes to the damn royal snake."

His teeth gnashed together and his fists clenched. "I'm gona kill them."

"Get in line."

"Leave some for me?"

"No promises, listen, Jeramiah, I need your help, Lelouch and I are an item, and he appointed me the temporary leader of the black knights until he is well enough. He just went to sleep in the room behind you, Rakshata is keeping an eye on him and keeping him stable, but she isn't a soldier, a mechanic, scientist, and doctor? Yes, yes, and yes. But she isn't very combat capable. I need you to be his first line of defense against anyone wishing to harm him." She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Can you do that for me?"

He gave a standard Britannian salute and got down on one knee. "Yes milady."

She nodded. "Good, remember, only Rakshata, C.C. , you and myself are allowed inside. If anyone tries to get in make sure they fuck off ok?"

He nodded back. "Understood."

He got into position in front of the door while she walked away.

When she reached her room, she peeled off her disgustingly sweaty and blood stained pilot suit, throwing it in a plastic bag so she could have it cleaned later. She grabbed a fresh uniform and a towel, bringing them into the shower.

She stripped from her bra and panties, stepping in and relaxing under some hot water. She began to think again. What did she need to do?

'First I need to find all those turn coat pricks and throw them in cells for the time being. As much as I would love to kill every last one of them, that's up to Lelouch. I am going to kill shit-zle if he is still aboard. What to do with Cornelia though? She and Lelouch where at odds before but he still loved her and she still loved him. She did defend him against that blonde bastard though so that's definitely something to take into account.'

She then thought about her past.

'It seemed so much easier back then... not being a rebel full time, yet it was still a gigantic pain in the ass. Hmm I remember that day, he used a recording I think, to trick me into thinking he wasn't Zero. I wonder what all this would have turned into if we knew each other before Shinjuku... if we where already in a relationship.'

(A/N Yea I wonder. "Winks and begins to think about the plot")

She sighed, lathering up her body in soap and her hair in shampoo allowing her tense muscles to relax just a little bit. She couldn't stay in there however, as much as she would have liked. She got out, dried off, got dressed, fixed her hair, and left for the command deck. When she entered she cleared her throat, the command crew all turned towards her.

"OFFICER ON DECK!" Someone shouted. They all immediately stood in attention.

"At ease. I need you all to listen to me right now, we have traitors aboard the ship."

A tidal wave of rushed whispers consumed the crowd, but Kallen merely raised a hand for silence.

"Britannia's current prime minister, prince EL Britannia came aboard in secret with permission of most of the upper echelon. Only madam C.C., doctor Rakshata and myself are still loyal. Zero was cornered and nearly killed, he suffered a gunshot wound from the prince. Though for reasons I cannot give Cornelia defended Zero. I need an emergency alert broadcasted both on the ship and to our other outposts, Kaname Ohgi and the command staff are to be branded traitors effective immediately, barring the previously named loyals. I want lady Kaguya and the general here ASAP. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes mam! Crystal clear mam!" Shouted the deck officer.

"Good. I'll take my leave, keep an eye out, as you where boys and girls." She promptly made her exit, and headed back down to the medical wing to see Lelouch.

When she got back she saw Jeramiah still standing there in the exact same position she last saw him.

What wasn't there before though was a young boy on his knees with his arms tied behind his back, after a moment she recognized him. He was always hanging around Lelouch before his memories where restored at the tower.

"So... what did I miss."

"This little pain in my ass demanded to see if his highness was ok, since he wasn't given your approval I didn't grant him entry. He tried to use geass but I stopped it. I grabbed him, tied him up, and he hasn't said a single word since."

She looked down at him. "What's your name?"

"Don't have one as far as I know, I am identified as Rolo halburton."

"And why do you have geass."

Not a peep. Perhaps a different approach?

"Ok why do you need to see Lelouch?"

"He's my big brother and he's hurt why shouldn't I?"

She raised an eyebrow. Brother?

"Look I'll tell him you came to see him when everything's calmed down, where in the middle of a crisis right now." She turned to orange boy. "Please let me in."

He stepped aside while keeping an eye on the young man. She re entered the room.

He was awake, and already looking better than he did before.

"Feeling better?"

"Now that your here yes. Much better."

She blushed "Flatterer..."

"It's only flattery if it's not true if you ask me."

She kept her blush for a bit longer and smiled. But stopped when she saw him trying to get up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, where do you think your going."

"I need to set up a conference with the upper echelon."

"You want to TALK to those ass holes!?"

"No, I'm going to rant at them, and have them thrown off the ship."

"Lelouch your in no condition to do anything."

"I'm in good enough condition to walk and talk and that's all I need."

"Lelouch..." She let out a whine. She was worried, that much was obvious.

He finaly managed to get up, pulling the blankets off, revealing a bandaged chest and walked to her, bringing her into a hug. She blushed and smiled again hugging him back.

"Look this is somthing I need to do, I plan on having you and Jeramiah there as security while Rakshata sticks around in case of emergency. Don't worry I'm not trying to leave you or do this alone."

She gave a determined nod and straightened up. "I'll be by your side the whole time."

"I'm glad..." She kissed her right cheek making her cheeks burn red. "Let's go...

... we have some traitorous pigs to roast..."


	5. Roasting retards

A/N Wow, 30 reviews, 40 + favorites and 80 + follows as I write this, you guys are awesome, so here's another chapter, and remember, reviews are love, reviews are life.

Lelouch winced, he was starting to feel really sore from his wound as he walked down the hall towards the conference room, he even came close to collapsing, but as luck would have it Kallen was there to catch him as he fell. The traitors where found in a storage room and brought there by veteran gaurds along with zero squad as an extra escort to make sure they didn't run.

When he had arrived, Kallen walked him through the door with orange and Rakshata following closely behind.

They came to a stop at a round conference table, the knights where in cuffs and sitting down in metal chairs. Rakshata took a seat in a comfy chair in the corner, making herself comfortable. Lelouch stood at the table, looking strong and imperious, glaring down at the traitors. Kallen stood directly to his right, just behind him while Jeramiah stood by the exit, just in case someone made a run for it.

"Ok everyone, story time." Lelouch began. "There once was a prince who watched his own mother get gunned down before him at the age of ten, his little sister got caught in the crossfire. He begged his father to help find the killer only to be told that he and his sister where dead to the man and where only useful as bargaining chips."

The black knights jaws dropped and paled considerably. While orange looked away in shame and Kallen stood just a bit closer, grabbing his hand and squeezing it gently, she was curious what could have made Lelouch into zero, now she was wishing she didn't, she was already crying for him internally, she wasn't expressing it because she didn't want to seem weak to her former friends.

"They where sent to a country that they learned to love and call it home just like the native people, then it was taken away from him just like the innocents that lived there. The prince swore that he would free Japan, destroy Britannia, and make the world a kinder, gentler place for his little sister."

The black knights shrank in their seats.

"He loved and lost many, and continues to do so to this very day. So, pop quiz, when a prince, the prime minister of bloody fucking Britannia comes aboard, and tells the men and women, that the prince thought he could trust, that their leader was a genocidal maniac with a hard on for freaky deaky mind fuck powers, being given circumstantial evidence at best, do said comrades in arms, that the leader saw as his second family use common fucking sense? Or did they immediately jump on the treason and murder band wagon for an excuse to kill someone that didn't like showing his face?"

They shrank further and refused to look him in the eyes. Kallen fumed with rage at them, as did orange.

"So let's hear them, what are your excuses? Oh wait I already know."

He leaned forwards on the table and pointed to Tamaki.

"Mega retard."

He pointed to Tohdoh.

"Honorable retard."

He pointed to Ohgi.

"Retard who did it for pussy."

He pointed to Villeta.

"Sore looser."

He pointed to Chiba.

"Retarded bitch."

He pointed to Ried.

"The bitch of chaos."

He pulled back.

"Your done, pack your personal shit and be off the ship in an hour."

Ohgi looked up in confused shock. "What!?"

"Do you not understand english? Your done, no longer a black knight, laid off..."

He leaned forward til he was in Ohgi 's face.

"Your fired, spell it with me, f-i-r-e-d, FIRED."

"Now wait a second!"

He slammed a fist on the table. "If you don't leave right now, I will have Jeramiah throw you off at ten thousand feet above the Pacific and eat a barrel of fucking popcorn! And if you continue to argue I'll have each and every one of you tazed and leave you to druel on the carpet for an hour while I watch fucking super nanny!"

They all immediately got up and speed walked out the door with orange and zero squad as escort.

Once they had left Lelouch stumbled back, his breathing was heavy and a bit raspy. Kallen caught him and brought him over to a couch, Rakshata was there at once. She checked to see if the wound had opened from its stiches.

"His wound hasn't opened but the body is weak, he's far too stressed, both mentally and physically. I'm ordering bed rest, no strenuous activities for at least three days."

"Fair enough. Kallen, would you please help me to my room?"

She helped him up and stood by his side for the walk, they re-entered the room and Lelouch stumbled to his bed, colapsing on it.

She began to walk towards the door.

"Wait."

She turned back to him instantly.

"Please stay?"

She smiled and nodded moving to the couch.

"No."

He scooped over to the left side and patted the right.

"Please lay with me."

She blushed and nodded, walking over to the right side of the bed she stripped to her under ware., getting in and laying down beside him. He grabbed her left hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Goodnight, love you."

"Night, love you too."

A/N Wow ok that was funny, hope that made up for being a little short, plot does make an apperance next chapter. Please review as always.

Private A/N for friend: I told you I was this story's author cheese dip, now your my bitch, lol


	6. Adversaries of old

A/N ITS NOT DEAD, YAY! But seriously this chapter was giving me trouble so I started writing other stuff for insperation. Here ya go!

Kallen sat on the couch in Lelouch's office as he continued to organize it and write documents, they hadn't spoke that much this morning, most of their time was spent re organizing the black knights. There was a knock at the door. He put his mask on quickly and straightened himself out.

"Enter."

Three figures stepped in, the Chinese general, the empress, and Kaguya.

"Ah, good, your here, please sit."

They did so but Kaguya spoke immediately after.

"What happened? We heard that the officers tried to kill you and hand you over to the prime minister." Concern laced her voice.

"Allow me to explain, they where bribed by Schneizel to turn me in, in exchange they could have Japan back."

"A man for a country, a wise trade that most would not pass up." The general commented.

"Indeed, but they didn't use their heads, if they did they would have realized that the snake couldn't do a single thing he promised. If they succeeded in their betrayal the black knights would have done much worse than kill me however. With me gone Schneizel would have no strategic and tactical equal, he could easily usurp power in Britannia to become the new emperor and then no one, and I mean NO ONE would be able to stop him, the world would be thrown into a dystopian hell hole with his psychotic and tyrannical ruel. With his new super weapon he could threaten the entire planet into submission out of fear of being completely destroyed."

He leaned forward.

"They didn't just betray me, they broke a plethora of rules and regulations created by the United Federation, and they betrayed the entire world to a sadistic, egotistical, mad man with the power to wipe out all life on earth with the push of a button."

He leaned back in his chair.

"They are VERY lucky I was hopped up on pain killers after they wounded me at the time I gave them their sentence, if I wasn't I probably would have gladly had them executed and dumped their bodies in the Pacific. I was also in a good mood for personal reasons, so that also helped their case a little."

Their eyes had all widened at this, they didn't know the situation was that bad.

"I would like you three to report this to the rest of the council." He pulled out a folder, and placed it on the table. "This is a detailed report on everything, complete with evidence of the deal that took place and eye witness accounts of what happened."

Kaguya took it, flipped through several pages, scanning it over, before closing it. "We will do so immediately. Is there anything else you need?"

"Kallen."

She nodded. Handing over a different folder to the general.

"This is a list of what we will need, the items that have been highlighted are top priority."

He took the folder and flipped through the pages, most of it was munitions, knightmares, spare parts, tools, rations of food, water and medical supplies and a few hundred more fresh troops. He noticed that they where asking for armor to be used by infantry, skin tight body suits weren't known to block bullets and shrapnel, no matter how stylish.

"We can definitely supply this, it won't take long, a week at most..."

"I need it in less than four days, we need to act quickly, our enemy is in disarray and the emperor is missing, we have the advantage right now, but every second we waste they use to re organize and our opportunities go down the drain."

The general paused and thought about it for a moment before giving another nod.

"I'll make the requisition of fresh supplies for you top priority, I can probably have everything you need here in three days, give or take a few hours, as long as the politicians play nice that is."

"Good. Now, if you would please see yourselves out, there are some personal matters I need to take care of."

They got up and left leaving the king and queen in the office. Lelouch got up and Kallen raised an eyebrow.

"There are some people I would like to talk to, care to join me?"

"Sure." She stood up and walked along side him to the detention block, they entered and walked past the guards, there where 2 different people he wanted to speak to in particular. They entered the first cell and sat down in a pair of chairs facing the occupant.

"Cornelia." He called out.

The once proud woman was sulking on her bed, she wasn't moving or speaking, but she was alive and well, or at least she was fine physically.

He took off his mask and spoke softer this time. "... Nelly."

"I'm sorry."

He blinked. "What?"

"I'm sorry, I abandoned you, on that day of her murder and then on, when you wanted my help, when you needed the shoulder of your best big sister to lean on I pushed you away and told you to suck it up. I'm sorry I wasn't there. I should've been, but I was consumed with the idea of revenge and I took my anger out on you. And because I wasn't there you had to resort to this, I'm sorry." Her voice cracked up and tears rolled down her face.

"... it's ok Nelly, I was angry too, not just you, both of us where, and we took it out on others because we couldn't control it. I want to find out who murdered mother, and I always wanted to make the world the kinder, gentler, place that Euphie and Nunnally wanted. Will you help your little brother make that world a reality?"

"... I- I need to think about it, I've been on Britannia's side for as long as I can remember, I can't just get up and leave, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it. Just, give me some time ok? I'm not saying no, just let me think, please."

"Of course, you can have as much time as you need, you will be confined to this cell for now, more for your safety than anything, you will be treated as a guest, I'll let the guard know that if you need anything you can just ask him. I'll see you later sister."

He walked out of the cell with Kallen and moved on to the second destination, they entered and sat down in a similar manner to before. Lelouch crossed his arms and Kallen glared at the occupant.

"Lelouch." The brown haired Japanese said.

"Traitor!" Kallen spat.

"Please calm down my queen." He said while staring at Suzaku.

"So, our positions have switched. Now I'm in captivity."

"So it would seem." Lelouch said, his voice unwavering. "But I don't have time for idle chatter and catching up. I have come here to ask one question, and one question alone, and I will have my answer one way or another." His voice was cold steel, and his eyes threatened the destruction of a thousand world's with the slightest twitch of a finger.

He got up from his seat, walked towards Suzaku, and picked him up by the collar of his shirt with an iron grip, holding the now scared young man up to his face, just inches away, his geass flared.

"WHERE. IS. NUNNALLY!?"

A/N And then suzaku shit his pants, LOL. Review everyone!

Also of importance, I have not abandoned any of my stories, especially not code geass revelations, the chapter has been giving me a lot of trouble, but I plan on updating it and eventually completing it, even if it kills me. Even the first version, the one filled to the brim with Crack and bad writing, I plan on finishing that pile of shit too.

I repeat, I plan on finishing all of my fics, I refuse to abandon them!

"YOU HEAR ME WRITERS BLOCK!? I WILL NEVER SURRENDER TO YOU! ALL OF MY STORIES SHALL LIVE ON!"


	7. Opening Salvo

A/N HOLY SHIT THIS TOOK FOREVAH! (slams head against table repeatedly) Seriously, this was the biggest pain in the ass, with all references to what happened in the anime now worth dick-all for the time being I really struggled to finish this. on another note, it is never said how long it takes for Lelouch and Rolo to reach Kaminejima island, I can assume a few hours since the sun is starting to set after landing and preparing the burial.

Suzaku's back ached like you would not believe, he thought Lelouch was a twig, but here he was being held up against the wall and a few inches above the ground.

'I guess rage and adrenaline does make you stronger.' He thought.

Kallen stood just behind and to the right of Lelouch as the black prince interrogated the son of Japan's old prime minister.

"What's wrong _friend_? Cat got your tongue? Got a frog in your throat?" He spat. "ANSWER MY FUCKING QUESTION! **WHERE. IS. NUNNALLY!** "

Normally he would show more decorum, be calmer... but this was Nunnally they where talking about...

And he _really_ didn't feel like dealing with bullshit right now.

"She's dead!"

Lelouch continued to hold him up with one hand while pulling back the other, with his eyes narrowed and screaming blood lust, he smashed a gloved fist into the Lancelot pilot's left cheek. His head rocked back, a searing pain erupting from his jaw as his head rolled around in a daze.

It was official, Lelouch was beyond pissed.

"LIES! After everything I have been though, all the lives lost, everything sacrificed for the better world I swore to create I _refuse_ to believe the universe to be so cruel even after all I have seen! You know she is alive, you are HIDING her from me, you will tell me right now, or I will personally burn my copy of the Geneva convention accords and break every single fucking rule in it to make you _SQUEAL_!" He threatened with an animalistic growl and nothing but murder in his eyes.

"I swear I don't know! Schneizel moves her around and keeps her under heavy guard, her location is a secret even to me!"

One of the eye brows of the black prince began to twitch violently, Suzaku was seriously worried that his old friend was actually going nuts.

"Tell me every possible location, every single place that blonde bitch could be hiding her, and I swear to god if you don't tell me everything _right fucking now_ I will KILL you!"

"I-I don't know them all but I can give you the most likely one!" He stuttered in actual fear.

"Then speak damn it!"

"Kaminejima island, the emperor himself along with royal guards and the knight of one are all there! It's your best bet at finding her!"

He threw Suzaku to the ground, pivoting on his heels, and stormed out of the cell with Kallen following close behind. As they walked down the halls she pulled out his Zero mask and held it out to him. They stopped there in the middle of the cell block. He looked down at the mask, then at Kallen while to gently took it.

"Thanks."

They closed the distance and gave each-other a kiss before continuing their trek down the halls. As they walked, Kallen noticed Lelouch had yet to put it on, he was staring at it intently and gripping it tightly.

"What has the world come to... why does everyone need to fight and kill... why... why cant we all just... get along?" He croaked.

"A person can be smart, but people are stupid. They see something they don't understand, and when they don't know what it is, they fear it, they grow to hate it, and they fight it." She answered.

"Yeah, still... what I wouldn't give to see a world not at war." He muttered.

Lelouch slid the mask on and continued the hall with Kallen by his side.

'To Kaminejima island then...' Lelouch thought while walking onto the bridge with Kallen.

* * *

Nunnally sat on the Avalon, there was a garden around her, it was her own little spot. She seemed at peace, yet she couldn't help but feel like the chair she sat in was more of a prison now that it ever was. She felt cold, even with the perfectly regulated temperature of the air around her. Because for all she knew, Lelouch was dead.

She could hear the guards talk about the damage, the Tokyo settlement was almost entirely destroyed, vaporized. Civilian casualties through the roof, so many dead on both sides they couldn't even begin to count, it was at least in the hundreds, if not thousands.

And all because Suzaku was so desperate to kill Zero..

All because Suzaku wanted to kill her brother.

Yes, she knew, for a while she could tell. It all started when he first spoke to her after Clovis died, the spike in his heart rate, and when he kept coming home smelling of blood and gunpowder... the smell of death that she had memorized since the invasion. And she knew he was Zero when the masked man tried to retrieve her from Britannian hands. She could make out her brothers voice behind the mechanical filter.

She didn't say anything, because she could feel his pain, his stress, his anger and depression and fear... She could feel his hopelessness for the world, and at the same time his hope to change the world himself, his determination, his love for his friends, and for her, his sister.

And now she really wished she had spoken up, told him to stop, maybe everyone would still be alive and well... no one would be getting hurt. Shirley would still be alive, this gigantic mess with the black knights and their revolution might not have happened, her brother would be ok, Suzaku might not be such a monster, Euphie would be ok too...

She was angry, angry at the world, angry at Suzaku, angry at the empire, angry at her family from throwing them out and then using them at their leisure. She wished so badly that everyone could just get along, just understand each other, but no, that would go against the vile corruption of human nature, wouldn't it?

Why understand someone when you can kill them? Why employ them when you can enslave them? Why accept being different when you can force them into line?

No, being kind to people was far too much effort...

Her eyes watered a little under their lids. So much death, and pain, and misery. All for what? A quick buck and some nice things? Perhaps the leaders of the world where all insane, that would explain it.

"My lady, are you alright?" Her caretaker asked sweetly.

She forced herself to put on a smile and pretend it was all ok.

"Yes, I'm fine, just sad about the attack." She answered lightly.

"Would you like to talk about it dear?"

"No thank you." The only people that got to hear her real thoughts where Sayoko and Lelouch, her mind was one of the few things she had left since she lost her sight and her legs, no one else would get that privilege unless they truly earned it, and this _nanny_ certainly hand not done that.

"I'm just fine..."

No, she wasn't.

* * *

The Ikaruga was strong to be sure, everyone knew this that paid the tiniest attention to what it has done before, but there where two things it strictly was not. The first, not pretty, In fact it was pretty damn ugly to boot, big and powerful, but just about as fashionable as a beached whale, so it wasn't going to provide that sense of shock and awe unless its appearance was unexpected. The second, and this was also pretty obvious, it wasn't by any means stealthy. She was a giant, flying hunk of metal with a shield, Knightmare hangars, and an arsenal sticking out of every inch, she was about as subtle as a bomb being dropped from a low altitude jet going at super sonic speeds.

So when it showed up at Kaminejima island, it neither intimidated their opponents enough, as they where mostly elite knightmare aces, and royal guard regiments. Nor did it get very close before it was noticed.

"Launch Akatsuki Wings 1 through 6 model number 05/F2D and deploy Zero squadron with Zikisan 05S/F2F variants, Await my signal to launch an attack!" Lelouch barked behind his Zero mask.

"Hai!" The bridge chorused and soon enough knightmares where being deployed from the hangars, The flight enabled Akatsuki's and Zikisan command units deployed from the hangar.

"Fire Hadron cannons, charge for maximum power and hit as many as you can!" Lelouch commanded.

"Affirmative! Charging hadron cannons for maximum output!" Another crew member called out.

"Enemy Knightmares incoming! They are identifying as Vincent Wards, model RPI-212B standards and RPI-212A command units! All flight enabled, I think I see RPI-V4L Gareths as well, they are wearing the colors of imperial guard!" A sensor operator yelled from her station. There where at least a dozen full squadrons spread out across the horizon.

'Damn, that's more than expected...' He thought. "Do we have any reserves?"

"We have a few wings of flight enabled Gekka's to spare, all of our other reserve units are old Burai and Burai Kai." Another operator reported.

"Deploy the Gekka's and have them link up with the others, The Burai and Burai Kai will deploy to assist with the ground assault after we breach their defenses, have them prepped with anti infantry and light anti armor weaponry."

He felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see Kallen, she had a pleading look in her eyes, she wanted to help.

"Wait, this is the emperor we are dealing with, the knight of one is bound to be here, I want your frame to be in peak condition when you fight him, he is legendary, even Suzaku cant beat him." Lelouch said, letting her know his concern, she nodded and began to wait patiently.

"Hadron cannons fully charged, awaiting orders to fire!"

"Align the shot for a wide arc of fire and prepare thrusters to maneuver, we need to hit as many as possible with this."

"Confirmed, cannon aligned, thrusters hot, on your go ahead!"

"Fire!"

The pair of Hadron cannons on either side of the Ikagura unleashed a hellish red and black beam of death, and the ship swept in a wide arc, heavy damage was caused to the enemy formation, as they where either vaporized, or pumped so full of radiation that they detonated moments later, their Sakuradite batteries having gone critical. It wasn't enough to knock the enemy out completely, some got out of the way, or weren't in the arc of fire to begin with, if anything it was only about even in terms of numbers, but the enemy survivors consisted of mostly Gareths and Vincent command units commanded by highly trained veteran pilots, it was bound to be an extremely tough fight either way.

"Hasten the cooling process and prepare to charge again, all units attack, have the Ikagura's secondary weapons try to pick off as many of the enemy frames as possible!"

And just like that, the battle began, Gekka's where often targeted as the weak link, being torn apart by gunfire. But the black knights responded with full force, getting into a melee with the enemy, one moment a Vincent would get cut clean in half by a Zikisan with a mass vibration blade, then a Gareth would tare apart an Akatsuki with its bare hands and begin firing on a Gekka, only for it to be taken apart by auto-cannons on the Ikagura. These things and many more happened all around the area, it was a giant cluster-fuck of a battle.

The second battle of Kaminejima island had begun.

* * *

Unbeknownst to them, both sides where being watched, a satellite far above was observing the battle, and transmitting it to a Britannian air ship.

Prince Schneizel sat in his little throne and observed with keen interest, sipping some wine and critiquing his brothers capabilities.

"Not using the environment I see? Then again there isn't much you can do in an air battle with nothing but water surrounding you, still, I would think that the legendary Zero might have a trick up his sleeve no?" He asked no one in particular.

"My prince, when do you plan to attack?" Kannon asked.

"Lets not be hasty Kannon, he is an opponent that I have studied for a long time, yet every time I think I know how he works he comes up with something that throws me off, if I am to face him I must be prepared, knowing your enemy is half the battle." He said without taking his eyes off the screen.

"Yes sir, of course sir."

* * *

"Sir, we are holding our own, but we are starting to suffer considerable losses." One of his officers reported from his station, Lelouch could see a few **LOST** icons on his tactical table. He needed to do something fast. Then an idea hit him.

"Recall all units to the hangar to rearm and repair, put shields up as soon as everyone is inside and cover them with a flak screen, keep the enemy Knightmares off of us. Have the Shinkiro prepped." He turned and began to run out the door, Kallen followed close behind.

He entered the hangar, and headed towards his frame which just came off of the repair table, Rakshata was giving him a stern look, "I just fixed not only you but both my babies, don't you dare get killed." She threatened while throwing him the activation key. He gave an appreciative nod and climbed into the cockpit, before he could shut it however, Kallen climbed up and gave him a look.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly.

She only reached forward, slowly pulled his mask off, and gave him a single kiss before pulling away. "Don't die on me, you hear?" She murmured quietly with a blush.

He smiled back. "Don't worry love, I'm not dying today." He said confidently.

He closed the cockpit after she climbed down, and he began the startup procedures, while this was happening his black knights where entering the hangar, most of them had obvious critical damage, missing limbs, bullet holes, dented and cracked armor, flickering sensors, you name it and one of them probably had the problem.

Lelouch wasted no time, as soon as the boot up sequence was complete he put the petal to the metal and blasted out of the hangar, flying straight towards the advancing Britannian forces, he flew straight past them before they realized what was happening, but they recognized the command frame for what it was, Zero's personal knightmare, they all disengaged and charged at the Shinkiro, which was know holding still above the water.

"This is Zero, come in bridge control." He said over his com.

"Zero This is bridge control we read you."

"Are the hadron cannons prepped to fire again?"

"Yes sir."

"Target the water directly below my position." He said as the enemy frames surrounded him.

"B-but sir-"

"Do it, that's an order." He commanded while activating the druid system.

"Y-yes sir, target locked."

"Fire." He ordered as they closed in on all sides

"But-"

"That is an order soldier!"

"Yes sir! Firing Hadron cannons!"

The Ikagura unleashed another pair of hellish red and black beams into the water directly below the Shinkiro, and the water exploded into a shower of steam and rain... there was static at the end of the com, and Kallen collapsed onto her knees next to Rakshata in the hangar, having saw a video feed, she was ready to cry.

"He... he said he wouldn't die today... he promised me... why... he just threw his life away... that... that SELFISH, STUPID ASSHOLE! I'm gonna-"

"Kallen."

"WHAT!?" She snapped at the dark skinned woman.

Rakshata only pointed at the screen, it zoomed in to the fog of steam and rain, which was now dissipating, there was a bright red light beyond the fog, when it finally cleared, you could make out a Spherical red transparent object surrounding a humanoid figure. It was the absolute defense system covering the Shinkiro. Kallen sighed in relief.

"You jackass... you scared the absolute shit outta me..." Kallen said with a laugh as she wiped away her tears and calmed down.

The fog cleared away with the wind, and the air fleet of Knightmares surrounded him, their forms sparking with electricity and shutting down, then falling into the ocean, and Lelouch made his way back to the Ikagura.

* * *

"Oh, so you did find a way to use the environment, that was a clever use of the Hadron cannon if I had ever seen it." Schneizel commented with a raised eyebrow.

"Sir... what did he just do?" Kannon asked while staring at the screen in bewilderment.

"He used the very nature of the hadron cannons and the environment to shut down the enemy knightmares. Water can hold and transfer energy quite easily, he baited them in, causing them to cluster up in a single area. Then by firing energy weapons into the water below he caused an explosion that released an inescapable cloud of radioactive material that coated the knightmares, the energy bleed through their armor and caused a mass shutdown of all systems by short circuiting their reactors... quite ingenious."

"So, the royal guard lost?" Kannon asked.

"Indeed, they failed to notice a rather obvious trap, for all their experience their bravado and desire to serve blinded them to obvious bait, which lead to their undoing..."

* * *

A/N ITS BACK! ITS BACK ITS BACK ITS BACK ITS BACK ITS BACK! HO-LY SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIT I FINALLY DID IT!

On a side note, I don't think I need to say how much I appreciate reviews. *Wink*


	8. Duel of the Century

_"Lelouch, that parting kiss, even if it was a lie, if you had said 'I love you,' I would have even followed you to hell._

 _...You knew that... didn't you?"_

 _-Kallen Stadtfeld R2 post Zero Requiem_

* * *

"How many did we lose in that initial assault?" Zero questioned a deck officer as he climbed out of the Shinkiro, the mechanics where hard at work doing quick repairs to a multitude of knightmares while the Burai and Burai Kai where prepped for combat on the island.

"6 Gekka class, 3 Akatsuki class, 1 Zikisan. Those where completely destroyed, most of the others received minor to severe damage, everything from scraped paint and a few dents to missing limbs and bullet holes." He responded and began to walk with Zero towards Rakshata's table. They passed an Akatsuki that was missing an arm, it looked to be torn off at the elbow, there was also a spider web of cracks in its single eye.

"Continue repairs, and make it double time, if we are to pull this off we need as many able bodied frames and soldiers to be ready for combat." He ordered.

"Right away sir!" He ran off towards the bridge section.

He made his way to Kallen, who was sitting next to Rakshata, they where talking until she noticed him coming over. She stood and gave him an angry glare.

He wrapped her up in a quick hug. "Sorry I scared you."

She pulled away and turned red, her anger melting into slight embarrassment as she looked away. "Don't do that to me again, idiot." She muttered.

"I wont, now, you should be prepared for launch, the royal guard still has light armor, veteran infantry, and reserve knightmare support... Not to mention Bismarck."

"I'll get to it." She said with a nod, and Rakshata had the Guren pulled up from its repair bed.

"Please replace the energy filler on the Shinkiro Rakshata, I'll need full power reserves for this next engagement."

She gave a nod and went to work on her other baby.

* * *

Bismarck stood with Emperor Charles just feet away from the thought elevator in the cave, He looked at his old friend with his single eye.

"So, you are initiating the final phase of the plan?" The knight of one asked.

"Yes, by the end of this day, we will have destroyed god, and our plan for world peace shall be complete."

A royal guard in personalized Britannian trooper gear ran through the mouth of the cave. "My lord, your majesty. I have an urgent report." He said while bowing and putting a fist to his chest.

"Speak." The emperor commanded.

"Its the black knights sir, scouts saw their ship, they're here, we tried to contact lord Waldstein but our short range communications are down."

"Launch the Knightmare guard, they can handle it." Bismarck said.

"W-we cant, they launched without permission, or support, the black knights destroyed the Royal Knightmare company."

Bismarck actually turned to look at the trooper, though his helmet was on the soldier sounded distressed.

"This is a problem... are they attacking the garrison yet?"

"No, my lord. They are holding position a few kilometers away from the island, but we believe that they are only doing minor repairs and mobilization, if that is the case they will strike at any moment."

"Bismarck, deal with this." The emperor commanded while walking up to the thought elevator.

"And, should _he_ be there?" Bismarck whispered, referring to Lelouch.

"Kill him if necessary, our plan will bring not only him but all others that suffered the fate of death back to us." The emperor said quietly so that Bismarck could hear, but the trooper couldn't.

"Yes, your majesty." He spun back towards the mouth of the cave, and gestured for the trooper to come. The soldier followed the knight of one out of the cave.

When they left the cave and entered the sunlight the area around it was made visible. there where 2 rows of custom Gloucester's guarding the cave entrance, beyond that the forest that once covered the island was cut down for a few hundred meters in all directions, there where squadrons of Knightmares, from Glasgows to Sutherlands and Vincent wards that weren't equipped with float systems, there was at least 2 full companies of 150 troopers in a large camp as well as tanks, apcs, and artillery, in the center was the Galahad.

"Prepare all units for combat, last stand protocol, on retreat, no surrender, not one step back." Bismarck ordered while walking directly towards his personal knightmare.

"Yes sir!"

* * *

Lelouch took off his helmet and grasped his controls after the start up sequence of the Shinkiro finishes. He turns on his com.

"All wings report in."

"Gekka wing 1 is green."

"Gekka wing 2 reporting in, we are good to go."

"Gekka wing 3 is ready for combat."

"Gekka wing 4 here, we are ready and able."

"Akatsuki wing 1 is prepped for battle."

"Akatsuki wing 2 is ready for a firefight."

The reports continued to pour in for several minutes, more Gekkas, Akatsukis, some Zikisans, and many Burai wings reported in.

"Kallen, stay in reserve, I have no doubt Bismarck will appear to combat us himself, when that happens I want you to intercept him with support of Zero squadron and myself."

"Yes sir."

"All units, begin ground assault!"

"Hai!" The resounding calls of Nippon Banzai and many other patriotic cries filled the radio waves as the knightmares deployed, with the Ikagura close to the ground the Burai and Burai Kai dropped from low altitude out of the hangars and landed in the sand, and blitzed into the tree line, the flight enabled 6th and 7th generation frames followed soon after, flying overhead.

Lelouch followed close behind, and Kallen stayed inside, waiting for her chance to prove herself as Lelouch's one true knight...

* * *

The crew of the Ikagura was so busy with their focus on the island that they didn't notice a brief sensor ping, their sonar detecting something small just below the waves approaching them. Out of the water sprang a Portman, and it latched onto the Ikagura, but it wasn't the standard. This one had glossy black paint with pure white and dark violet as its secondary colors, its eyes where blood red.

It used a wrist mounted laser cutter to slice a hole into the lower deck, and it reached a hand in, it waited a moment, then pulled the hand back. Suzaku was on its palm, he climbed up the Portman and entered the cockpit, then it went back under the water, and retreated back to a fleet under control of prince Schneizel.

A Pluton knight had completed its mission flawlessly once more.

* * *

A fire team of 5 black knight Burai moved from cover to cover in the forest, their movements where swift, but cautious.

"Turn on fact sphere sensors, the brush is too thick to see anything." The commander of the lance in a Burai Kai ordered.

The half squad silently complied, the cyclopean eyes of the knightmare's opening up, the red and green sonar like pulse started up as they scanned the area.

"Hold on, I've got movement." The Burai on the far left said while its head swiveled to the right, bright red showing up deep in the woods, easy to spot in the middle of dark blue and green of the surroundings.

"What is it sergeant?" The captain questioned while the others took cover behind trees and rocks.

"I don't know... I think its a-"

 **Boom!**

The crack of a high velocity cannon going off interrupted him, and the high pitched whistle of a tracer shell made their ears ring. A large, bright orange shell came out of the brush and smashed into the chest of the Burai, the armor blew wide open and splintered with chunks of flaming metal and debris flying in every direction, the Knightmare was sent spiraling into the air with smoke spilling from the wound and it knocked over a tree. The cockpit didn't eject.

"Tank! Move!" They began evasive maneuvers and tried to make their way to the enemy vehicle, but it advanced as well, and over a dozen other Excelsior class main battle tanks erupt from the brush, firing their cannons and machineguns, a few Sutherlands follow close behind, and troopers with RPG's and anti tank grenades pop out of their hiding places, and scream with bloodlust.

"Shit! There's too many, fall back!" An RPG flies towards another Burai, and it hits the head, blasting it to pieces, the cockpit ejects and the knightmare falls back, limp.

The rest put their land spinners in full reverse and retreat out of firing range. "This is Burai lance one, we lost units 2 and 5 to Britannian armor, there are too many to take on without getting butchered. Requesting backup."

The line is static, suddenly the feint sound of slash harkens is heard, and the other two Burai fall to pieces. The Burai Kai turns around and sees none other than the Galahad, its finger slash harkens returning to its hands.

"Oh Kami NO!" He tries to run, but his knightmare splits vertically in half and topples over, the Galahad had swiped but a single time with its blade a moment before, the Excalibur.

"Hmm, rabble like this defeating Britannian soldiers? Its hard to believe, then again, their leader is the reason they where so successful in area 11. I do hope you are proud of your boy Marianne, he has caused no small amount of problems." He said with a small smirk.

"Sir we have received reports of Zero leading an assault on our left flank." He heard over his radio.

"Tell them to hold as long as possible, I am on my way."

He activates his float system and flies over to the other side of the island, and he sees the Shinkiro firing hadron blasts into his formation from the air, he pulls out his blade and rushes straight towards the black and gold knightmare...

* * *

Lelouch just finished taking apart a group of Gloucesters from his spot in the sky when the Shinkiro's advanced warning systems sent out an alarm, he activated his absolute defense system just in time to block 10 small slash harkens coming at him from the above and right.

He followed them back to the hands of the Galahad, it was staring down at him, and he knew exactly who the pilot was. He turned on his loud speakers and his radio so Kallen could hear.

"Bismarck, why am I not surprised? I suppose my father sent you to kill me." It was a statement, not a question.

"An astute observation but not entirely correct, he only wants me to kill you if its absolutely necessary."

"I will not be his slave again." Lelouch spat.

"Your enslavement is not something he desires, surrender now and I can bring you to him, then you can speak to him face to face, and perhaps understand why everything we did was necessary." Bismarck offered.

"No, I am settling this on _my_ terms, not his."

"Foolish boy, you don't know what you are meddling with."

"I know that millions have suffered and died and my father was a part of it, that's all I need to know." He growled out.

"So be it." The Galahad charged at him with Excalibur drawn and ready, Lelouch blocked it with his absolute defense shields and then fired at him with one of his hadron cannons, but the Galahad dodged it. They disengaged and reevaluated each other.

"Your mother would be so disappointed in you." Bismarck mocked.

"How dare you speak of my mother!?" He unleashed another blast with his hadrons, and the Galahad dodged again. Then fired its slash harkens back in retaliation. They where knocked off course by another slash harken however.

They both turned to see the Guren Type-08 elements SEITEN retract its harken, then fly to their position and take a spot between the Shinkiro and the Galahad.

"If you want to kill him, you'll have to get through me!"

"So you, a self proclaimed Japanese would lay down your life for Britannian royalty?"

"I'm not only Japanese, I am just as much Britannian as well. I have come to terms with that." She defended. "And you know what else? I have also come to accept the fact that nationality means nothing in the long run. Lelouch is a good person trying to change the empire for the better and bring peace, and for that I will gladly take a bullet if it means he wouldn't have to."

"That sounds like something a real knight would say." Bismarck commented.

"It does, doesn't it? Yes, that is what I am, a half blood knight of a forgotten black prince." She replied.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I Kallen Stadtfeld hereby pledge my life and my service to not just zero but the man behind the mask. Right here at this very moment I claim my title as the personal knight of his imperial majesty, the black prince, Lelouch VI Britannia!" She proclaimed, activating her RWS and pulling out her MVS knife, getting into a combat stance.

"...Hahahahahahahaha! Very well then!" He reaffirmed his stance, saluting her with Excalibur before preparing to charge. "Show me the strength of your loyalty! I shall test your mettle!"

"Lelouch, get out of here, confront the emperor, I'll deal with Bismarck!"

He popped up on her screen, his mask was off. "Kallen, I order you to live, I order you to show him what you are made of and come back alive." He cut the connection and the Shinkiro flew away towards the thought elevator.

 **Que 'Archangel-Two Steps From Hell'**

She smirked. "Yes, my lord."

The Galahad charged quickly, its float system sending him straight towards her, she blocked the Excalibur with her fork knife and tried to grab his head with the RWS, but he pulled back and countered, swinging to her left. She spun on the spot, pivoting around the blade and swung her knife at him. He pulled back again, but not before the knife nicked his chest plate.

They circled each other in the air, waiting for their opponent to blink first. Kallen raised her RWS and fired, he dodged and fired his finger harkens, she caught them with her fork knife and pulled him towards her. He released the tethers connecting them to the Galahad, stopping her from reeling him in.

"You thrive in ranged combat just as much as Melee, I think its time we evened the playing field." He said before turning off his float system and dropping to the ground. She followed his example, turning off her energy wings and dropping to the island, hitting sand.

He sprinted at her with Excalibur ready to swing, she waited until he was right on top of her, then she bent backwards to avoid a swipe at her midsection. She used his momentum against him, standing back up and attempting to grab him with her claw, he dodged out of the way, but she followed up with a swing of her knife, this time it directly hit his left arm, piercing his armor and damaging the insides. He used the strength of his frame to push her back.

"Hmm, I have not had a challenge since I fought Lelouch's mother, lady Marianne the flash." Bismarck openly admitted.

"Coming from you I'm almost honored." Was her snippy reply.

He opened a dialogue screen, so that they where now looking at each other. The stitches keeping his left eye shut snapped, and revealed bright red geass. Her eyes widened, and he smiled.

"You _should_ consider yourself honored, I have not found a need to use my geass since it was given to me."

"You cant win a one on one fight so you resort to geass?"

"I cannot afford to lose." With that he cut the connection and ran towards her again, bringing down Excalibur in a vertical slash that would cleave her in half. She used her RWS shield to block the strike, the force of the blow pushing her back. The knight of one continued to apply pressure, forcing the Guren to bend a knee.

He eventually pulled back, and swung again, and she blocked it, this time she swung with her knife, only for him to grab her hand by the wrist.

"You cant win, thanks to my geass I know every move you make before you can even make it." He proclaimed, then began to squeeze, and the armor around her hand began to crack with tonnes of pressure pressing on it from all sides. She used her RWS to send a blast into his chest, he had to let go of the arm to get out of the way. When she pulled back and inspected her arm, it was completely pulverized at the wrist, and diagnostics popped up showing almost all components where destroyed, leaving it almost completely unresponsive.

She grit her teeth, and started forming a plan. She didn't get to come up with anything solid however, as Bismarck resumed the attack. She used her land spinners to retreat, buying herself some time.

"A knight doesn't run from battle!" He mocked.

She didn't reply, she had a plan, she looked back when her knightmare stopped moving, she was pressed up against a wall of stone, a small mountain where the cave system began. She looked back to see him charging at her, now was her chance.

She fired the RWS at the ground in front of him, turning sand to glass and kicking it up into the air, the small shards reflected the sun at him, his geass made the blinding effect even more potent as he closed his eyes on reflex to stop the blinding effect, she fired her missiles at him, he dodged most, but they landed around him, kicking up even more debris. One managed to hit him in his disoriented state, sending him flying, destroying one of his arms and compromising his armor.

Out of the dust and sand, a glowing red claw of silver and gold clamped down on his free hand holding Excalibur, it sent ripples of energy through it, causing it to warp and bubble before exploding. His knightmare stumbled back out of the Debris, one arm completely gone and the other torn to shreds. Bismarck was drenched in cold sweat, his hair disheveled. The smoke cleared in front of him, the Guren was holding Excalibur in its clawed hand. His eyes narrowed to mere pinpoints, he was in utter disbelief at the turn of events.

"No..."

She sprang forward and swiped with it so fast not even his geass could fully register what happened, but he still knew he had failed. The Guren was right next to him, its blade buried in the ground behind him, the red mech was using it as a crutch, its head against the handle and its clawed hand grasping the hilt firmly while the other hand hung limply at its side.

"IMPOSSIBLE!"

The Galahad split directly in half from top to bottom, its insides exposed and leaking both fuel and coolant alike before exploding. The Guren was bathed in flame, but it was unharmed. It sat there for a moment, its red, gold and silver body cloaked in fire and smoke, its blue eyes the only other color in the maelstrom of the explosion.

The Guren stood slowly, walked out of the blaze and turned around to observe its handiwork.

Kallen Stadtfeld, ace of the black knights, pilot of the Guren, and knight of Lelouch VI Britannia had defeated the knight of one in single combat.

The Guren turned and walked away dragging Excalibur with it as a trophy, Kallen's next destination, the thought elevator...

* * *

A/N And thus the true knight of zero proves herself against the knight of one, and the final confrontation between white emperor Charles ZI Britannia and the black prince Lelouch VI Britannia ensues next chapter!

Also, as for the Pluton knights, they are a knight order that are essentially the "If I told you I would have to kill you" type of black ops that does all the dirty work of the royal family that not even the regular military is willing to do, or can afford be caught doing. they only featured in a manga, but if you wanna check them out you can WIKI them.

Review puny mortals! I demand tribute!


	9. What Now?

A/N before we get into this chapter, I'm going to let you know that the confrontation in C's world is similar in a few ways, but ends very differently in a bitter-sweet kind of way. more sweet than bitter, and I did make it fairly OOC, but you know what, I like the way it turned out, so I'm keeping it.

* * *

With the loss of Bismarck the Britannian soldiers where in disarray, their morale broken, lines shattered, and half their forces in retreat. It was looking to be a total victory in favor of the black knights...

"Incoming!" A Vincent ward was torn to shreds by gunfire from a Gekka to its right, and a pair of Sutherlands to the rear and left where sent flying from an explosion, their legs ripped from their bodies. A main battle tank tried to retreat, with some wounded infantry using it as cover, but a shell hit the lower glacis and it blew the tank to pieces, engulfing the enemy in flames.

The black knights advanced, and eventually overran the Britannian forces.

* * *

The Shinkiro touched down in front of the cave leading to the thought elevator, the camp nearby had been completely abandoned, or so he thought.

The druid system alerted him to the presence of but a single knightmare, the Shinkiro turned to see a black, white, and purple custom Vincent ward. It had blood red eyes that stared him down, and quite frankly it unnerved him. The ward was void of any definitive markings, nothing to be seen that indicated what order it was from, it had a rifle in its hands, and a pair of MVS swords clipped to either side of his frame on the waist, yet it did not attack him.

He _knew_ this was not a black knight, otherwise the pilot would have tried to speak to him, alert him to his presence. They did have a few captured Britannian frames, mostly Sutherlands. Then something unexpected happened. A second knightmare in similar colors walked out of the woods, this one looked similar to the Sutherland, but was vastly different, from the readings it was giving off it was at least on par with a custom Gloucester, if not a Vincent ward.

A few moments later, it was identified by his database as a Gracchus class knightmare, a test bed for knightmare development, and a potential replacement for the Sutherland over the Gloucester class.

"Identify yourselves." Lelouch ordered.

The two did not respond, they only turned to look at each other for a few moments, as if having a silent conversation, then they looked back at Lelouch, and slowly began to walk backwards, retreating into the woods.

Lelouch waited, staring into the area the two frames disappeared into, yet his knightmare they had left the area completely, he feared pain of death if he left his machine, but he could not falter now, he walked his knightmare into the cave, knelt, and deactivated the Shinkiro before climbing out. He took off his Zero mask and left it in the cockpit, wearing it would be pointless in C's world.

He turned back to look out of the cave, Kallen was out there, fighting the knight of one himself, she might have even died by now, killed at his hand...

He might have sent her to her death...

He blanched at the thought, he desperately wanted to go back into the Shinkiro and head back to help her and the black knights, but if he turned back now would he come back too late to stop his father? What if he failed and Kallen's death was all in vein?

He clenched his fists, and turned back to the thought elevator and walked towards it briskly with purpose, he would not leave until he did what he had to. He climbed the few steps leading up to the doorway, and was about to press his hand against the door when he heard heavy metal footsteps.

He spun to face whatever it was coming through, it sounded like a knightmare, he wondered if it was Britannians, or his black knights, or one of those two strange knightmares that he saw a few moments ago. Any one of those things would mean his identity was going to be completely compromised but the sunlight outlined the metal machine as it walked through, he recognized that outline, along with the bright blue eyes, it was the Guren.

The machine was obviously damaged, its left arm looked like it was mostly pulverized, but the right arm surprised him, The Guren walked up to him, holding the Excalibur. The clawed hand spun the blade in its grasp artfully before firmly planting it in the ground, and the Guren kneeled in front of him.

"The knight of one has met his end." Kallen said, and she sounded both humbled and proud of her accomplishment at the same time.

"Kallen, come here please."

The Guren looked at him for a moment before it powered down, and Kallen climbed out, walking up to him.

He wrapped her in a hug. "I was worried I wouldn't see you again, I thought I sent you to your death, I-"

She kissed him to shut him up. Then pulled back with a smile. "You doubted me?" She asked playfully.

"No, I just, I couldn't help but worry, I care about you, very much and I just..." He didn't know what else he could say.

"I love you too, and don't worry, I'm fine, the Guren earned some new battle scars but I didn't get scratched. Oh, and get this, he had geass."

"Geass!?"

"Yeah, he said It allowed him to see what my future movements were, he could counter what I did before I did it, I managed to out smart him though... But how did he get geass?"

"I think he got it from C.C., though the geass order is a possibility. Did C.C. tell you about them?"

"No, she only gave me the bare minimum of information."

"Right, well the geass order is part of the OSI, or I suppose the OSI is part of the geass order, its an ancient scientific church dedicated to the study and application of geass. My uncle, V.V. leads it, or at least he used to before I blew its headquarters to bits."

"I see, so either C.C. gave it to them or this geass order and V.V. handed it to him?"

"Most likely C.C. I believe. When you give out large numbers of non-personal contracts it can lead to the one given geass having defects, one geass users heart stops when he uses his."

"That doesn't sound healthy..." Kallen murmured.

"Trust me it isn't, he is lucky it hasn't caused him serious harm or even death, lucky enough he is on our side, I still need to speak to him when this is over, last time I spoke to him I hurt his feelings pretty bad. And in any case I'm glad you aren't hurt... as for what this is." He gestures to the door to the thought elevator.

"This is the thought elevator, or one of them at least, there are some number of them scattered around the globe, they are capable of transporting the consciousness of those who enter to a higher plane of existence."

"You mean it takes people to heaven?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not quite heaven or hell, more like a purgatory that you can leave at any time. Would you like to join me? I am about to confront my father."

"The black knights have full control of the island, the few Britannian forces left alive have been routed and overrun, so I can come with, our knightmares are safe... but, I don't know what to do to enter..."

"This is going to feel weird and be a little disorienting, but it wont hurt, I promise." He said, gently grabbing her right hand and rubbing the back of it with his thumb. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do." She said with a small smile and a blush.

He gave her a small peck on the lips, and then pressed her hand along with his own against the door, and the world went white.

Suddenly her senses came back to her, she stumbled a little, feeling slightly queasy but otherwise fine, she was stopped from falling by a pair black gloved hands holding her.

"You alright?" Lelouch asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, some butterflies in my stomach but otherwise I'm good."

"Good." They both looked up to see a set of stairs, and most surprising to Kallen, the planet Jupiter floating above in all its glory.

"The Britannian emperor himself is up those stairs, are you ready?" Lelouch questioned.

"I was born ready." Kallen replied with determination.

"Then lets not keep him waiting." The two of them walked up the stairs side by side, when they reached the top the emperor was standing on a ledge between a pair of pillars, facing the cloudy expanse before him, not even bothering to see who approached.

"So, Bismarck failed, a shame, though I am curious as to how you beat him when he had such powerful geass and experience in knightmare combat." The emperor said without turning around.

"It wasn't me, the honor of defeating your personal knight goes to my own knight." Lelouch muttered.

The emperor turned his head to look at the two of them out of the corner of his eye, his sight landing on Kallen.

"I see, so your precious queen defeated him in single combat? Impressive, if you had fought for Britannia you might have gone far."

"I would never work for a bloodthirsty, racist, tyrannical empire like yours." Kallen spat.

"Circumstances change girl, you never know." He muttered.

"Enough! You, you are going to tell me who murdered my mother, and why did you let them go, why!? You claimed to have loved her and yet you don't care enough to bring her murderer to justice, then you send Nunnally and I away, only to invade Japan a year later and not care if we end up another casualty, you will answer me you sick bastard!"

"... I ordered the investigation to end because I already knew who did it, and believe me son, I did love her, I still do, just as I do love you and your sister."

"Liar! If you knew who did it then why didn't you order justice to be done, if you loved us then why call us weak vermin and send us off to die!?" Lelouch screamed, he was so angry and confused he couldn't keep his emotions in check, Kallen helped by holding one of his hands, but he still couldn't keep it together.

"I couldn't afford to get rid of him at the time, the killer, your mother, Bismarck and I had a plan that could bring world peace, though it involved much bloodshed. The killer was V.V., your uncle, as much as I wanted him dead your mother would want me to complete the plan first and foremost. As for you and Nunnally, I sent you away to keep you out of V.V.'s line of fire, he despised your mother as well as the both of you because he felt I loved you more than him, and it was true, he murdered your mother out of jealousy."

"Why didn't you tell me!?" Lelouch yelled, he felt like pulling his hair out.

"You where too young, you had a high IQ at the time but you had very little emotional intelligence, if I told you what happened you would have tried to take matters into your own hands, sending you off like that was the only way I could think to keep you and your sister safe, as much as it hurt, I would do it a thousand times over rather than let him kill you."

"Bullshit, you told Bismarck he could kill me if he thought it necessary!" He shot back weakly, the explanation made sense, but after spending all this time fighting he didn't want to believe it.

"I only told him that because our plan has finally been completed, this is the sword of Akasha, with it, we can destroy god, and subsequently the barrier between life and death, masks will be removed, the loved ones we lost will be returned, your mother, Euphie, that girl, Shirley was it? They will all come back. You, girl, you have lost someone you hold dear yes?" He finished while talking to Kallen.

"Naoto." She murmured while looking away.

"Don't listen to him Kallen, the plan sounds nice, but trust me, it isn't all that its cracked up to be." Lelouch said while narrowing his eyes.

"Euphemia and Nunnally would want this, it would a world of peace, one without lies or death, we can be with the ones we love." Charles said while fully turning around.

"No, they wouldn't, to destroy the barrier between life and death, it would destroy everything, the very meaning of life itself would cease to exist, there would be no point. Such a world would be a living hell, an endless purgatory of monotony and similarity that would drive people to madness." Lelouch defended, both he and Kallen looked behind themselves when they heard a gasp, it was C.C.

"C.C. right on time, are you ready?" She nodded, ignoring the two protesting and walking up to him.

"C.C. stop, do you want the entire world to suffer your own existence?" Lelouch asked.

"Lelouch." A woman's voice called out. "Its alright sweetie, it will all be fine." Out of the mist Marianne appeared, smiling at them.

"Mother...?" Lelouch asked weakly.

"Hello my little prince, I've missed you." She said kindly. "Don't worry, it will all be fine, you will see."

"Mother, you support this?" He asked quietly.

"Yes, I do."

"... Then have come to a decision... and I do so knowing that it is what Nunnally would want."

"She was never happy." Charles said.

"She smiled because she appreciated what she already had, she would never want this!"

"Her smiles where fake, she only wanted to make you feel better."

"I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO CALL IT A LIE!" Lelouch roared.

"It doesn't matter, the Ragnarok connection is nearing completion, the sword of Akasha will slay god, and we will have peace." Charles rebutted.

"A false peace you forced upon the world." Kallen shot back. She decided to side with Lelouch, as much as the idea of having her brother back appealed to her she knew he wouldn't want this either, and she swore to be forever loyal to Lelouch.

"... I reject you." Lelouch said. "I reject your plan, I reject your world, I wont have it." He continued.

"You are a fool, do you know what awaits you and the world you live in if Schneizel succeeds?"

"It doesn't matter, he wont win, I'll make sure of it." Lelouch answered.

"Lelouch, does this mean you reject me as well?" His mother asked softly.

"... If you support this plan too, then yes, I reject you as well."

"You say this as though you can stop it, the Ragnarok connection has already been initiated, this is only the beginning of a new era."

"I cant stop you, but there is someone here that can." He activated his geass.

"Fool, everyone here is immune to geass." Charles said.

"There is someone else here that has just as much interest in stopping you as Kallen and I." He said, then pointed up at Jupiter.

"Are you mad? You cannot command god!" Charles yelled.

"No, this is not an order... it is a request." His right eye suddenly went pitch black, a pinprick of bright red in the middle, before a second geass symbol flashed into existence, its power echoing throughout C's world. He looked up at Jupiter, flinging his arm up as if to grasp at it.

"God, please do not stop the flow of time!" His voice echoed, and the red eye of Jupiter created a geass symbol, suddenly, the sword of Akasha began to evaporate.

"No..." Charles spun around looking on as the creation turned to atoms and dust, and then into nothing.

"So, I suppose you have won..." Charles said with a dry laugh. "I must say, I am disappointed in your decision, but what's done is done, do you truly think you can bring peace and stop your brother?"

"I know I can, it will be a long and difficult road but I can and will do it."

Charles walked up to Lelouch, and handed him a folded letter. "I had considered this outcome, as unlikely as it was, here, take it, I am sure you will know what to do." Charles gave Lelouch a hug. The black prince was so surprised he didn't try to stop it, and then returned it. "I am sorry I couldn't give you a better life, make the most of what you have."

Charles pulled back, and Marianne gave him a hug as well. "Goodbye dear, I will miss you, but if you ever want to talk to us you can still do it, just come to the thought elevator, or ask C.C. to be the middle man... oh and have lots of grandkids for me to swoon over! Put your girl to work!" She said with an evil smile.

"Mother!" He said in surprise, pulling away. Kallen coughed and looked away, her entire face was red and his wasn't too different.

Charles put his hand on Lelouch's chest, then backed away, and he dissolved into nothingness, Marianne did so as well, waving goodbye. They both had sad smiles on their face, but at the same time they where proud.

"So... what now?" Kallen asked after clearing her throat and calming down.

Lelouch opened up the letter and read it, he smiled, and that smile turned absolutely evil... in a good way.

"I have a plan... but first..." He put the letter away and looked back up at Jupiter.

"God, if you will hear me, I have one more humble request, I do not expect it to be answered, but I felt that there would be no harm in asking..."

* * *

A/N Specs of the Gracchus class KMF (Model number RPI-300)

It is highly mobile, and Its armor is decorated with horse-esque design, most notably in the legs, though the majority of the frame body is using Sutherland parts. Its head also resembles but is different from the Sutherland, its head and horns are smoothened back, getting rid of the large forehead and factsphere, and replacing the "eyes" with a pair of thin visors. Its Landspinners are also different being singular wheels attached to the back of both feet rather than the traditional design found on most Britannian Knightmares. A notable feature of the frame is that both its arms are able to extend outward, allowing for surprise deadly thrusting attacks with the use of its Rapier Swords.

The Gracchus is also equipped with a powerful Foldable Cannon, which utilizes Sakuradite as its ammunition, this allows the Gracchus to provide supporting artillery fire on the battlefield Despite being built from the 5th Generation Sutherland, it's overall design and upgrades from hardware, to software, and improved engineering show it to be far more advanced than its predecessor, even allowing it to go head to head against the advanced 7th Generation Lancelot.

It is believed that the creator of the Gloucester threatened the creator of the Gracchus into submission and forced him/her to stop all testing and production of pilot/prototype units, the only well known Gracchus unit used in the Britannian military was used by Jean Rowe of the order of Saint Michale for the Euro-Britannian armed forces.

Armament: 1x Assault Rifle, 2x Chest-mounted slash harkens, 1x/2x advanced MVS Rapiers, 1x Foldable Cannon. (Cannon uses rounds with refined Sakuradite as ammunition, highly explosive/armor piercing)

Armor: Tungsten, Carbon Fibers.

Power source: Yggdrasil drive / energy filler

KMF generation: Unknown, estimates placed at custom gen 6.5, possibly mass production 7th generation combat capabilities. (Unit under command of Jean Rowe faced Z-0-1 Lancelot in combat and lasted longer than any other opponent [With the exception of Kallen and the Guren] being able to defend and trade blows with the 7th gen custom unit despite being based off of a 5th gen mass production template.

I really love the Gracchus, it is one of the most badass looking knightmares, and I would have preferred if it was used instead of the Gloucester and later Gareth knightmare frames, tell me what you think of my inclusion for said knightmare, if you wanna see it for yourself, just google and hit up the wiki page, and Pls review!


	10. All Hail

A/N, not much to say except enjoy, review, and don't let the boot hit you on the way out.

* * *

 _"Happiness is like glass, so easily shattered, yet if you change your perspective just a little you will find more in the world all around you, and it will reflect more beautifully than ever before..."_

 _-Lelouch VI Britannia, 11th prince, 17th in line for the throne and 99th emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire-_

"Attention, the emperor is making a special announcement! We will be covering this live from the imperial palace, even though his majesty has not made a public appearance in the past month." A news caster announced, it was Milly.

In the imperial palace the royal family and high nobles where gathered in the throne room, royal guards standing at the doors and against the wall, with two captains acting as a vanguard to the throne area.

"Didn't someone say the emperor was missing?" Carine NE Britannia asked.

"There has been confusion, he left and didn't say where he was going, we lost contact with his imperial vanguard regiment and haven't heard a word since." Guinevere DE Britannia said.

"As for Schneizel and the others, where are they?" Odysseus questioned.

"Don't know, there's been no word from Cambodia yet." Guinevere replied to her older brother, they where waiting for the emperor to make his appearance.

"Presenting his imperial majesty!" One of the guards in front announced, and music that sounded happy and triumphant began to play.

Then, it slowly began to die down, as none other than Lelouch walked out onto the throne's stage, dressed in his Julius Kingsley outfit without the eye patch, a replica he had tailored, and sat down on the throne, crossing his legs and smirking at the crowd, and into the camera.

"What..." Guinevere muttered.

"But that's not-" Odysseus began but could not finish.

"Where is his majesty!?" Carine asked, being one of the few to complete a sentence in all of the confusion, the rest of the auditorium was slowly building into chaos...

In Ashford academy Rivalz was staring at his cell phone screen in awe, and even more students crowded around him while others watched on computers and television screens. The geass locking his memories broke, and he managed not to freak out right then and there.

Milly wasn't doing much better as the news announcer, seeing it on screen in front of her. Suddenly, the geass locking her memories from emperor Charles where released, and she gasped.

"Zoom in!"

The camera zoomed in on Lelouch, and she knew for sure it was him.

"Oh Lelouch... what the hell are you doing..."

Schneizel smirked on his own little throne in the Avalon, this had gotten even more interesting.

Back in the throne room, Lelouch began to speak.

"Greetings, I am Lelouch VI Britannia of the royal family, 99th emperor of the Holy Britannian empire."

In Euro Britannia, many thousands of soldiers and nobles where observing this, and began to speak amongst themselves wherever they where. It was a similar feeling all across the Britannian empire, and in all other countries allowed to view it.

"I-Its really you!?" Carine asked.

"You're alive!?" Guinevere continued.

"Why yes sister, I am, I have returned from the depths of hell intact." He responded with a smirk.

"Lelouch, how good to see you." Odysseus began kindly. "When Nunnally was located I knew you would be found alive too. But now, aren't you carrying this joke a little too far? That's the throne of our father-"

"Charles ZI Britannia has given up the throne, and will not return to Britannia." Lelouch interrupted.

"What..." Odysseus questioned. And Guinevere blinked in surprise.

"Lies! You must have killed him! Guards, seize this usurper, he is guilty of murdering our emperor!" A noble in the back cried out. The royal guard did as directed, 4 of them rushed at him with spears in hand, intending to kill him where he sat.

Before they could reach him, someone dropped from above, landing on one of them, tripping another, throwing a third down the stairs, and sucker punching the last to the floor, it was revealed to be Kallen, in a leotard befitting a female knight of the round, black, blue, and red, embroidered with gold. A pair of Colt anaconda double action revolvers on her waist belt and a sword strapped behind her back. A half cape covering her right. She stood imperiously in front of Lelouch.

"Allow me to introduce, Kallen Stadtfeld, a dame, a knight of the round, a knight above all others, I grant her the title Knight of Zero. She is also my betrothed." He said, introducing the red head.

He stood, and walked up to the edge of the stage before the stairs, and pulled an envelope out of his outfit.

"My claim to the throne is legitimate, brother Odysseus, if you would." Lelouch held out the envelope.

The brother in question walked up the stairs and took the envelope, opening it and taking out a piece of paper.

"This..." He began as he examined it. "This is his majesties hand writing, I recognize it, this is no forgery. " He said.

"Would you be so kind as to tell our awaiting audience what the letter says?" Lelouch asked smugly.

"Ah, right... yes of course." He cleared his throat.

"To the royal family, nobility, military, all other citizens of the Holy Britannian Empire and whomever else it may concern, let this letter be my last will and testament before my departure. I am certain you question the reasons why I do not wish to return, but there are some inquiries I simply cannot answer. Let this letter answer but one question burning in your minds, who will take the throne?"

"Lelouch was sent out on his own, with no way of survival other than his wits in a land that his own countrymen would soon invade with no mercy. He not only survived, but thrived, prospered, and conquered everyone and everything he faced despite having nothing to his name. He has seen, done, and listened to the people more than most of the royal family combined, regardless of his age, he has shown strength on an intellectual, and emotional level unlike any other. For this, I am very proud to call them my children."

"This letter hereby reinstates the titles of the VI Britannia siblings, and names Lelouch VI Britannia, 11th prince, and 17th in line as crown Prince and 99th emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire..." He slowly finished.

"Signed, Charles ZI Britannia, 98th emperor of the Realm..." He slowly put down the paper, and stared in shock first at the crowd, then turned towards Lelouch.

"He... named you emperor..." He muttered, still in shock.

"Indeed, he did." Lelouch sat back down on the throne. "I lawfully claim my place as 99th emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, does anyone here dare object?" He questioned as Kallen stood next to him, glaring at the crowd, as if daring for someone to say something.

"He bestowed the throne upon you, I will not deny the legitimacy of your claim." Odysseus said slowly, still pulling himself together.

"All hail Lelouch!" Carine said, placing a fist upon her chest. The rest of the crowd followed, along with Odysseus.

"ALL HAIL LELOUCH!"

The cry began to sound out through all of the mainland, then to the colonies, and then to Euro Britannia.

"ALL HAIL LELOUCH! ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!"

Soldiers across bases roared and threw their fists into the air, Knightmare companies copied this as best they could. Civilians, soldiers, politicians, nobles, it didn't matter, they eventually joined in until it was an unstoppable force that crossed the globe over in every Britannian territory.

"ALL HAIL LELOUCH! ALL HAIL LELOUCH! ALL HAIL LELOUCH!"

Lelouch Grinned, and drank in the applause.

* * *

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Yes! Take that shit-for-brains!" Tamaki yelled while cursing out Schneizel. He was watching the broadcast.

"My buddy is emperor! You guys are so fu-" A hand slapped over his mouth, it was Tohdoh. They where sitting in a conference room in the Chinese federation. They where put on parole, and where sitting in a room with Tianzi, Xingke, and Kaguya.

"You guys are so fucked!" Kaguya finished while getting up and dancing on a table. Tianzi laughed and began to dance with her while Xingke rolled his eyes in exasperation and Tohdoh face-palmed.

"Are we sure this is a good thing?" Ohgi asked.

"Oh shut up Ohgi, I turned on him with you but at least I have the guts to admit I messed up big time, you still wont let go of that stupid geass crap!" Tamaki yelled at his old commander.

"He has the power to mind control people of course I'm not gonna just let it go!" Ohgi yelled back.

"He didn't use it on us!" Tamaki defended

"Think about who he did use it on though!" Ohgi countered.

"He did what he had to!" Tamaki shot back.

"Both of you shut up before I throw you into some cells." Xingke threatened.

The two of them resorted to just glaring at each other.

"This is awesome! Lelouch can stop the whole war just by saying so! The world will have peace!" Kaguya cheered.

"That isn't entirely true." Tohdoh said. "They may accept him now but if he changes too much or goes too extreme in the direction he goes then the nobility will find ways to fight back, they may even incite a civil war."

"...Damn." Kaguya deflated. "I didn't think of that... hey, where is Lelouch going?" They saw that the young man was now exiting the stage.

"He literally just took power, he has to give it a few days for everything to cool down before he does anything." Nagisa said next to Tohdoh.

"Precisely." The general commented.

"So... now we wait?" Tianzi asked.

"No, there is still the rest of the EU to worry about, along with the UFN, they might react poorly to this, or try to take advantage of the current political weakness that this has made." Xingke answered.

"Right, we should probably tell the other UFN members not to start military buildup... and also see how the black knights are doing, they have been on radio silence for a while..." Kaguya supplied.

* * *

Lelouch walked with Kallen out the exit door and into an empty hall. Kallen started chuckling. "Did you see the looks on their faces? Priceless."

"They where gaping like fish, it was hilarious." Lelouch said with a laugh and a grin.

"So, we wait for a few days, and then start making changes?"

"Yes, with my claim to the throne things are too hot for me to start directly affecting things, I'll have to allow things to run as they have been, and then start pulling strings where I can, hopefully this will end without a rebellion from the nobility." He answered and started walking down the hall, Kallen followed.

"That's right, they could throw down the gauntlet and fight back with the amount of power they have." Kallen muttered, not liking the idea of a civil war.

"The good news is that while the nobility may not like me I will have the populace and the royal family behind me, the mset the nobility could do is hire out mercenaries with military hardware since the Britannian armed forces swore an oath to the empire and its leader, not the petty nobles."

"What about Knightmare drones?" Kallen asked.

He paused, then nodded and continued walking. "A possibility, one that we must be careful of, should they pile their recourses together somewhat efficiently the acquisition of Knightmare production and AI to run them is certainly an option they have, which would make combating an insurrection more difficult. I remember the EU using Alexander drones to fair effect when I was under my father's geass as Julius Kingsley."

"Should we look into it to bolster our armies?" Kallen suggested. And stashed away the previous tidbit of him in Europe for later discussion.

"We should keep our minds open to that, yes, Vincent drones do sound plausible... and perhaps we could get a hold of a Gracchus prototype from Euro Britannia to reverse engineer."

"Gracchus? I don't know that one..."

"Its what would have replaced the Sutherland instead of a Gloucester."

"Why bother with them? I get that they where supposed to be better than Sutherlands, and maybe Gloucesters. But we have Vincent wards and Gareths for mass production now, along with Akatsuki and Zikisan units."

"They are fast, sleek, heavily armed and armored with advanced software, hardware, and superior engineering, not to mention cheaper to produce since its base template is that of the mass production model of the Sutherland. That and one of the few prototypes that served in the Britannian knightmare corps went head to head with Suzaku in a fully equipped Lancelot, and it not only survived, but also managed to defend itself rather well and trade blows with him."

"Damn, they sound useful."

"Indeed, if I can have Rakshata and Loyd cooperate they could do wonderful things with such a versatile design."

Kallen barked out a laugh. "Like that will happen."

Lelouch grinned. "Don't worry, they will make nice soon enough."

"Oh, great, what did you do?"

"I locked them in a room together and told them they had to let bygones be bygones if they wanted out."

"HAHAHAHAHA! Rakshata is gonna kill you when she gets out!" Kallen snickered.

"We shall see."

"So, what about the black knights?"

"The Ikagura is holding position submersed in the middle of the Pacific well outside of the Britannian Navy's way. I told them that they would soon join us."

"How do you plan to do that? They where pretty skeptical of you when you told them who you where... I mean they decided to put their faith in you sure but they still doubt you. Plus, how are you going to explain it to the empire that the black knights are allies now?"

"I'm still working out those details, but don't worry, I think I have a way."

"I have long since learned not to doubt you."

"Thanks..." They made their way to the royal suite, and entered, they found it to be rather Spartan, there where of course nice pieces of furniture, a big bed, a TV and a large set of windows, and it was well decorated with color, but it wasn't something to an egotistical maniac, something that many would suspect to see in a room that belonged to someone that owned about a third of the planet. Jeramiah was there, standing in a corner, Sayoko was speaking to him, and Rolo was sitting patiently at a desk. The young boy perked up when Lelouch entered the room.

"Big brother, I'm so happy it went well." Rolo said with a smile.

"Thank you Rolo, I hope you slept better since our last conversation?"

* * *

 **Flashback...**

When Lelouch returned to the Ikagura, a note had been left on the door to his personal quarters, it was Jeramiah, he examined it. It said that a young boy claiming to be his brother tried to sneak in after surgery, he knew who it was, and memorized the room number Jeramiah locked him in on the note. He then left and went to it. He really did care about the kid, the poor guy had been fucked with by the geass order for so long it was disgusting, but perhaps he could save Rolo, despite the harsh circumstances.

Lelouch entered the room that Rolo was in, and turned on the lights. He saw the kid sitting in a chair, his head resting on a desk, he was sleeping. Lelouch walked over to him, kneeling, and lightly shaking his shoulder.

"Rolo...Rolo, hey, wake up." He whispered softly.

Rolo's eyes cracked open, and he looked at Lelouch for a second before it all registered, he threw his arms around Lelouch and brought him in a hug.

"Lelouch! I'm so happy you're ok, I overheard them plotting to kill you and I tired to save you but I couldn't get the hangar in time. Then you got shot and I wanted to make sure you where ok but he wouldn't let me in and he locked me in here!"

"Its ok Rolo, I'm alright... and I'm glad I can speak to you. I'm sorry about what I said before Rolo. I was just so angry because people I cared about where hurt or dying."

"You don't hate me?" He asked hopefully.

"No, no I don't hate you Rolo. You killed Shirley, and I was angry... you killed her because I cared about her, and you where scared I would stop loving you, right, that's why you did it?"

Rolo nodded into his shoulder. "No one has ever loved me before, I was so afraid of loosing it that I panicked, I'm sorry... I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I-" His voice cracked, and Lelouch put a hand up to make his stop.

"Rolo, stop, its ok, I fixed it, you are forgiven, I wont stop caring about you just because I love someone else Rolo, remember that."

"Ok...wait, you said you fixed it... what do you mean?"

"Lets just say god really does answer prayers... when he feels like it."

Rolo chuckled, then yawned.

"Lets get you to a real bed huh? We have big things to do, but first, there are two things I need you to promise me, ok?

"Anything." He said quickly.

"Good, first, I don't want you to kill anyone unless you absolutely have to, and to never hurt anyone else I care about."

"Never again." He swore.

"Right, now, the other thing I need you to do, and this is important, I need you to never _ever_ use your geass."

"But-"

"Rolo." Lelouch interrupted. "What happens when you use your geass?"

"It pauses people's perception of time."

"Rolo, you know what I am referring to."

"... My heart stops..." He whimpers, looking down and clutching at his chest.

"Exactly, Rolo, that could _kill_ you. I don't think I need to tell you that It would destroy me to lose you, I already lost people and I don't want to lose another. Which is why I _need_ you to promise me that you will never, _ever_ use your geass unless you have absolutely no other choice, understand?"

"Yes big brother, I understand."

"Good, now come on, lets get you to bed huh, you could use it, and we have big things ahead."

Lelouch walked Rolo back down to his quarters, and brought him to his bed, Rolo slumped in, and smiled, it was much more comfortable than anything the geass order had given him.

"Goodnight Rolo."

"Goodnight big brother... I love you."

"... I love you to."

Rolo began to snore with a smile on his face, and Lelouch crashed on the couch, Kallen wanted to sleep in her quarters and the crew was tired, business could wait for tomorrow.

 **Flashback end...**

"Much better brother." Rolo answered.

"Good, we need to finalize those plans we drew up incase this went as we hoped."

With that they came together, and started discussing the future, C.C. came through the door a minute later, holding boxes of deep dish pizza...

What? They where hungry.

* * *

A/N annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd that's it, what do you think Lelouch meant when he said it was fixed and god answered prayers?how will the EU handle this turn of events? Will the black knights still follow him without question? Will the UFN turn against him? Will the nobility rebel when he starts cleaning up their act? We can only hope to wait and see, perhaps one of these questions will be answered in the next chapter.

Review.


	11. Public Approval

A/N A few things I need to tell you is that the outcome of Akito the exiled is completely different in this story, long story short Britannia and the E.U. are locked in the same stalemate they where in when the spinoff series first started due to Leila Malcal and the W-0 unit staying with the E.U. to help retake lost ground against Lelouch when he was Kingsley, as well as Shin, and holding the line against Schneizel rather well. W-0 consisting of all prior members along with Ashley Ashra and Asura strike force, their castle was also repaired and re-fortified as a command center.

So, to sum up, E.U. is Spain to Warsaw and everything in-between, along with Sweden and Norway, and half of Africa along with the isles. UFN is all of the Chinese federation, (Sorta japan but its still brit territory so not really), the other half of Africa and the middle eastern territories along with New Guinea and the other islands between it and china itself. Britannia owns Russia and many other nations around it, along with Canada, Mexico, north America, south America, central America, and all islands in the Caribbean and pacific, Greenland too... oh and Australia, cant go forgetting about the aussies, or new Zealand. I have no fucking clue about Iceland but I can assume they are neutral.

So, the big problem is how in the name of hell is Lelouch gonna deal with this giant cluster fuck... well, lots of grit, spit and ducktape go a long way but it will probably take more than that to get things straightened out.

 _this means its a voiceover_

* * *

 _"The best index to a person's character is how he treats people who can't do him any good, and how he treats people who can't fight back."_

 _\- Abigail Van Buren -_

* * *

Leila Malcal stood outside the office of the most important council meeting for the E.U., being held inside the army joint headquarters in Paris. To date, everyone, and by everyone it means truly _everyone_ had heard, and seen the news...

3 days ago Britannia had crowned a new emperor, a new emperor means a whole new game, what will he do next? The council had a decision to make, the E.U. has barely been holding off the Britannian assault since Schneizel took charge, they had been pushed back left, right and center only to take it back to the enemy and hold by the skin of their teeth.

And the worst part? The E.U. was low on any and all available recourses, their army had been decimated, and they where drawing on the freshest of reserves and recruits, morale was at an all time low for both the citizens and the military, riots and protests where commonplace, even in the best cities, their material recourses had been bled thin too, they could hardly replace knightmares, tanks, aircraft, guns, and ammo at the required rate to keep their men fully equipped. Steel, gunpowder, oil, natural gas, Sakuradite, you name it, they needed it.

The Britannian empire was in _no_ such position, they where ready to finish what they started, their morale was high, they still had an abundance of resources, and they had manpower that overlapped the E.U. several times over.

It was almost funny if it weren't so sad, the E.U. had been on a planned war economy for years and years to hold the empire back... and the Britannians?

No, still a free market economy, their military still took up much of their government spending, but they didn't even need to issue a planned economy for war production to push the E.U. to the brink.

She shivered at the thought, the Britannians entering a total war economy? The E.U. might as well surrender now, the empire could probably make far more advanced knightmares than even the type 3 Alexander, and produce about as many in a single damn week as the E.U. could _dream_ of making in an entire year.

She looked down at the floor, her mind abuzz with ideas.

She was technically a pureblood Britannian... if this new emperor was better than the last, she might actually defect to the empire, and W-0 in its entirety would follow her. At this point the E.U. was no better, it was just as racist as the empire is...was? Either way, the E.U. high command used refugee soldiers as cannon fodder, sacrificial lambs for slaughter, it was a confederation of nations run by a broken fucking bureaucracy of backstabbing and greedy politics that couldn't care less if the world burned around them so long as they kept their wealth. The so called democracy failed to serve its people, the civilians where starving, some didn't have running water or electricity, and it showed, the damn thing was holding together by a thread and fear of the empire. If this emperor proved to be benevolent then the only thing holding this whole thing together was string. The whole place was ready to blow.

She felt someone grab her hand, it was Akito, he lovingly rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb and gave her a comforting smile. On the other side of the hall the rest of wyvern squad where doing their thing. Ayano was leaning against the wall and plauing with her hair, Yukia was on his phone, and Ryo was having a rather excited thumb war with Ashley.

The door to the conference room opened, and formerly Major, more recently Lieutenant Colonel, now Colonel Oscar Hammel stormed out of the room, cursing in French and German quite liberally and pulling his cap off his head, then throwing it to the ground.

"Sir?" Leila questioned.

The white haired, green eyed man breathed deeply through his nostrils, then exhaled through the mouth, picking up his cap and firmly placed it on his head, he did so just in the nick of time as a flurry of other officers and politicians left the room, not even batting an eye at the others, as they talked amongst themselves. After they left, he turned to look at Leila and Wyvern squad.

"The senate has ordered that we continue military operations against Britannia, we are to begin planning a renewed assault immediately."

"Are they insane!?" Leila questioned with her French accent, and Akito looked dumb-struck. The rest of Wyvern squad wasn't fairing much better.

"Those guys are idiots, first you where holding the line against just Euro Britannia, then you barely held against prince Shitzel, do those guys think Europa United can actually fight the empire itself and win? Or did they have their thumbs shoved up their asses the whole damn time?" Ashley deadpanned.

"They think that with a new and inexperienced leader that the Britannians wont be as effective, even with their tech and numbers advantage. I obviously don't buy it, but they thought it was a good idea. Lady Malcal, you should return to castle Weiswolf and prepare, I managed to secure a large amount of funding to begin producing more type-2 Alexanders, so I guess one good thing came out of this."

"I see, thank you, Colonel."

"Of course my lady." He straightened his cap and dipped his head before walking down the hall, and exiting through the door.

"Well, this sucks." Ryo muttered.

"I give it a month before we attack, and then get slaughtered, and then about a week or 2 until they get to Castle Weiswolf and kill us all, and then about 6 or 7 more months tops until all of Europa is either trashed, or surrenders." Ashley said nonchalantly.

"I'll take that bet, I say we last 4 or 5 months tops." Ryo replied.

"This isn't something to bet about you idiots! Our lives are on the line!" Ayano belittled them.

"Well, what do we do commander?" Yukia asked while putting his phone down.

She closed her eyes, and began to think... after a few moments her eyes reopened, she had an idea.

"I'm going to need to call in a few favors..."

Yukia smirked, then he received a ping on his phone, something on social media was spreading like wildfire. He began to play a video titled 'HOLY SHIT! EVERYONE NEEDS TO WATCH THIS!' That popped up.

He began listening through his ear piece for a few moments, and his face suddenly went from passive, to shock, and happiness, the normally stoic young man looked like he was gonna cry.

"Yukia, are you ok?" Ayano asked.

"Guys, this is amazing, you have to watch this..."

* * *

1 hour earlier...

"Hello viewers, this is Milly Ashford, coming at you live with BBC and we are broadcasting live from the imperial palace in Pendragon. The emperor has a very important special announcement to make!" Milly said to the camera while inside the throne room, several members of the royal family, and lower nobility where there, speaking quietly amongst themselves.

"It has been 3 days since the new emperor, His imperial majesty Lelouch VI Britannia claimed the throne. He has refrained from making any announcements since then, allowing the situation to cool down after this most surprising turn of events." She said with a smile as the painted glass windows began to shine light through with the movement of clouds.

The murmuring of the small crowd began to die down, and Lelouch entered from the door on the right, the very same one he came through when he claimed the throne, he stood on a podium in front of the throne and before the crowd.

"Citizens of Britannia, you have waited a very tense, very quiet 3 days. Many questions no doubts burned into your mind, how will I, a young, new emperor lead the empire in the future, today, I answer your questions." He began as the camera zoomed in on his position.

"While I was in Japan, I had to learn to survive, I was a child, abandoned with my little sister in a foreign land with the world burning all around me. For the past 7 years of my life, I lived as a mere commoner in what is now called area 11. I had to watch, as the greed of the nobility tore down an already beaten nation. The Japanese that had once been a proud, and cultural hub of great prestige, was ruthlessly attacked, and destroyed by the empire. It wasn't just the men in the army that died, but the women, and the children... young and old. Countless innocent people gunned down, and the rest where either enslaved, or where forced to become honorary Britannians just to make a living." He began.

The many people watching where stunned by this proclamation, many ordinary citizens of the empire had heard that Britannia helped an already crumbling nation, that they where being just and that the 11 terrorists where anarchists that wanted to kill anyone and everyone... this was completely different from the propaganda they had been fed for so long.

The door of a private apartment in the Tokyo settlement was kicked open by Britannian troopers.

 _"Today, the Tokyo settlement, or at least what is left, is inhabited by nobles that care not about the lives about their fellow man, that only care about what they want, and do not mind killing hundreds to make a quick pound. At this very moment, hundreds of high nobility all across the empire, from the homeland, to the areas, to Euro Britannia are being arrested by Britannian military police..."_

The soldiers rushed forward, killing the bodyguards that raised their weapons, and the Noble's attending a private party where arrested, those that resisted where tackled, or tasered.

 _"Their crimes are numerous, and inhumane. From war profiteering, to drug cartels, to human trafficking, and the violation of dozens of labor laws, and many more."_

Large numbers of them are thrown into police cars and vans with escort of knight police. Leading them was a green and orange custom Sutherland, Jeramiah Gottwald was the pilot.

People all across the empire began to speak amongst themselves, in the streets, at their homes, in their cars, they where horrified at what the nobility that they believed in where doing. And summarily glad they where being arrested.

Back in the throne room, Lelouch continued. "There is more, I have come to see the nations we conquered as more than just more territory or recourses to exploit. Innocent people, Britannian or not, should not be exposed to what the nobility have done to them with the empire's approval. As of this moment, I hereby name all areas under the control of the empire as Special Zones in their entirety. Do you hear me? I return to you your culture, your name, your identity, and your rights as human beings, and officially name all numbers in imperial territory or otherwise as Britannian citizens, who are now protected by the constitutional rights that safeguard all citizens of the empire!"

* * *

Akito's jaw dropped in shock, and the affect was similar for the rest of the group, Leila smiled so much her face hurt, and Ayano began to cry tears of joy on Yukia's shoulder, Ryo threw his fists into the air and laughed, Ashley grinned and wrapped his arms around the group.

People in the ghettos outside the Settlement began to practically party, hugs, food, cigarettes, and all sorts of commodities where shared by the community. A little girl with brown hair and green eyes began to play with her friends on the street, it was a massive block parties in the span of a few short minutes. That's when they noticed Britannian knight police rolling down the road with cargo haulers and trucks. The people stopped celebrating and prepared to run on instinct, but the Britannians didn't attack, instead they pulled the tarps off of the trucks, and began to pick up crates, and setting them down in front of the crowd, a trooper without weapons came up with a crowbar and opened up the wooden crate, several others followed, the contents where revealed to be food, water, medicine, clothes, blankets, soap, and many other basic items.

The lead knight police activated his speaker. "Alright, everyone to calmly get into lines please, we are going to start rationing supplies and taking names, don't worry, there is enough here for everyone."

They quickly lined up and came forward, finally, things where starting to look up.

This was happening all across the empire's numbered areas, and conquered territories of the E.U. where receiving mass relief aid.

* * *

In the throne room, Lelouch had one more announcement to make.

"And finally, to the leaders of the European Union, I extend an offer of peace, we have been at war for far too long, and far too many people have lost their lives as a result, families and loved ones torn apart because of a petty feud, I await your reply, as of this moment I am ordering a Cease-fire on the part of Euro Brtiannia, they shall stay their blades unless otherwise provoked, I pray you make the correct decision..."

"And as one final note, many of you are wondering why, why am I doing so much for so many people that I shouldn't care about? My question is why _shouldn't_ I care about them? They are people, and I have the power to help them. Our current culture demands that we step on those we perceive weaker than us, people who we see as lesser beings, so what about the young? What about the imperial citizens that are blind, crippled, or sick, family that are hurting and in need of support because they are not strong enough alone, would you kill them? Use them up and throw them away? No, you wouldn't, so why do it to others? Strength is not how much we can oppress those who aren't as powerful, strength, is our capacity for good, the ability to resist using our power for personal gain, to be able to control ones self is the truest form of personal strength..."

With that, the emperor left the world in a state of complete shock...

In Paris, Yukia finally found his voice.

"So, about those plans commander?"

"I have a few new ideas now."

* * *

C.C. was sprawled out on the Emperor sized be cackling like a mad scientist... or rather an evil witch in front of the T.V. which had just broadcasted Lelouch's announcement.

Lelouch and Kallen walked in, grinning like Cheshire cats.

"So much for taking it slow huh?" C.C. said while barking out a laugh.

"Turns out I didn't need too, thanks to Rolo and Sayoko we managed to dig up dirt and evidence on every noble that committed a felony. And I ordered their arrests after seizing all their accounts and repossessing all of their valuables. The only nobility left are those that either didn't participate or actively donated and advocated for the rights of numbers." He said cheerfully.

"Those two work fast." C.C. commented.

"Thank you lady C.C." Sayoko said while she and Rolo walked into the room. "We aim to please. And I saw the broadcast Lelouch, I am so proud."

"Thank you Sayoko, now all we need to do is wait and see how the world reacts, I am certain my popularity with most of the commoners, and all the numbers sky-rocketed. I think the U.F.N. will be more welcoming, though there isn't much I can say about the E.U." Lelouch said

"Bah, the E.U. can't do anything now, they've been bled dry on everything and everyone knows it, they can't afford a war, even one where they somehow feed to the people where they have the moral high ground even though you called for a cease fire." C.C. said from her spot on the bed.

"There is still a problem, I created the U.F.N. and I would like the empire to join. That was the plan at first, but now that I have claimed the throne the people wont accept total de-militarization to join a coalition made up of former neutral factions and enemies. That is a requirement to join, disbanding the military and donating it to the black knights, plus, I'm not even sure if I _want_ to disband it, the military isn't just something to prove strength, its part of our culture, and we could use it to help the world instead of conquer it. But at the same time, what if someone claims the throne in the future, and he is like my father, or god forbid Schneizel? Not only that but we need it incase the E.U. decides to go to war, or for some reason the U.F.N. turns on us." He said in exasperation while flopping onto the bed.

Kallen laid down with him and wrapped her arms around him while nuzzling into his shoulder.

"Its alright, we will win in the end, I know it." She whispered into his ear.

"Thanks... I hope you're right." He kissed her on the lips and began to relax.

* * *

Prince Schneizel was sitting in his throne, he had watched the broadcast with great attention, when it was over, he simply chuckled, and slowly began to clap.

"Impressive Lelouch, very impressive, you continue to surprise me... Kannon, get me in touch with the E.U. let them know I have a proposition for them."

"Yes my lord."

Nobody noticed it, but soon after Suzaku had silently walked out of the bridge after watching it himself, after being rescued by the nameless Pluton Knight he had been debriefed on his time in captivity, and then put back on active duty like the whole thing hadn't happened.

He stopped a few feet away from the door, checking the hall to see there where no bystanders. He then slumped against the wall, and lightly thumped his head against it.

"Euphemia... is this what you wanted...? It sounds too good to be true, but... Lelouch is doing exactly what you hoped could happen..." He was so tired, he had been exhausted for years, so tired of the lying, the killing, the backstabbing and fighting, he wanted it to end so badly...

"Lelouch... I doubted you for so long... but... if this is what you wanted all along... why did you geass Euphie... why did you kill her... was it a spur of the moment... did... did she _ask_ for it? No, she wouldn't do that... was it... was it an accident? Did you geass her without meaning to?" He pondered quietly.

He silently grasped the pendant she gave him in his pocket, it was always comforting and warm to him, even in his coldest and darkest moments. He pushed himself off the wall and made his way to his personal quarters.

He needed to think.

* * *

A/N Yup, he needs to think, and you need to review, there will be a few old faces showing up next chapter.


	12. Traitors

A/N Yeah, not much to say cept sorry that its a little shorter than the last couple chapters, I have to wait to do some of the stuff I want to do til after this one, so have fun.

* * *

 _"_ _Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death."_

 _-Sun Tzu-_

* * *

Kaguya could not believe this... today, had started out wonderfully, after the speech that Lelouch gave she couldn't help but cry tears of joy... but now, something terrible has happened, and as she stood in front of the camera/TV that was helping her have a face to face with Lelouch from China, he could see it in her eyes.

Thirty minutes ago, something happened that Lelouch honestly didn't believe would, or could happen...

 **Flashback...**

"Lady Kaguya-" One of the U.F.N. representatives began. "While you have been away, this council has made a decision..." The U.F.N. was holding a conference call, most where not present, but the few who where apparently had news. Their faces stretched into thin lines on the monitors.

"You held a vote? Why was I not informed?" She asked in surprise.

"Make no mistake, we hold no ill will towards you young lady, however, given recent circumstances we had no choice." Another said from a different monitor to her right.

"Well, what was it? Spit it out!" This was not good at all...

"It has come to the attention of this council that there is no longer a need for the U.F.N."

"...What?" She asked quietly.

"For us, the entire purpose of this union was to fight Britannia. With them gaining massive amounts of public support and the black knights off the radar, the situation is simply too risky to continue. We have decided in a majority vote to dissolve the U.F.N. and begin replenishing our armed forces to join the E.U. in their effort to fight the empire, I am sorry, but the U.F.N. is hereby null and void." The councilors cut the line, and she was left there in shock.

Empress Tianzi ran up to her and hugged her after bursting through the door. "Oh my god, this cant be happening!"

"W-we need to contact Lelouch, now!"

 **Flashback end**

"They _Dissolved_ the U.F.N.!?" Lelouch yelled in shock and disbelief.

"Its true, I checked in with most of the other member nations, they agreed to the idea in a landslide vote to leave the U.F.N. and join Europa United in their war against Britannia." Tianzi said quietly at Kaguya's side.

Lelouch slumped in his seat and brought his left hand to his forehead, tapping his fingers on the arm of his chair with his free hand.

"Can you at least radio the black knights?" He asked hopefully.

"We've been trying, either they went AWOL or can't respond for whatever reason." Xingke said from his seat in the Chinese conference room.

Lelouch closed his eyes in irritation, this was slowly going to hell. He fixed the empire in about a week's time with the help of his most trusted friends, now the black knights where missing and a potential ally had joined the enemy.

"Is China itself at least able to help?"

Tianzi slowly shook her head no without making eye contact. "We don't have the ability to make war, we can trade and open up a lend-lease program but... we can't get directly involved Lelouch, I'm sorry." She murmured sadly, and Xingke nodded at the assessment.

Lelouch half sighed, half growled in immense irritation.

'Fuck me...' He thought.

The transmition was cut, and he got up walking over to his bed, and flopping on it, he really needed to get his game face on for this.

Kallen Walked through the door and laid down with him.

"You alright?"

"No, something terrible has just happened."

"What's wrong?" She asked in concern.

"The U.F.N. just dissolved itself and joined the E.U. they want war with the empire."

"What!? Those backstabbing little cunts!"

* * *

Milly was sipping her tea at her little desk in her room, browsing the web on her computer with her right leg lazily crossed over the left, she was in a night gown, winding down for the night, but a sudden knocking at her door brought her out of her aimless muse. She made sure the robe was fastened so she wouldn't expose herself and got up, walking towards the door.

"Who is it?" She asked through the door.

"Hey, uh, Milly, I'm really freaked out right now and I need someone to talk to, can you let me in?"

"Shirley...?" She breathed. No, no way, her ears where deceiving her, there was no fucking way it was really her, Shirley was dead. She had to make sure, she undid the lock and swiftly pulled the door open.

And there she was, Shirley, the orange haired girl was standing there in the little black dress that she had been _buried_ in.

Milly feinted. Her eyes rolling back in her head and falling to the carpeted floor.

"Uh... ok... that's not good, I should get her to bed, she'll wake up soon." She muttered, she understood the reaction, the poor girl thought she was dead... and granted, she was supposed to be...

So when she was suddenly alive and standing on top of her grave she sorta had a mental breakdown, and hadn't quite recovered yet... still, it was good to be back...

'I need to find Lelouch... I wonder what's happened to him. He was Zero... he still is... I should see the trending news, maybe there is a new report on him I can look over...' She thought. She picked up Milly with no small amount of effort and laid her on the couch in the living area before going over to the computer, bringing up a new window, she was about to search but the words of a sponsored article on the page caught her eye.

"List of reforms passed by the new emperor..." She muttered while reading the headline. "New emperor?" 'Did emperor Charles die?' she pondered.

She looked up 99th emperor, and it came up with an autocorrect saying Coronation of 99th emperor Lelouch VI Britannia.

'Lelouch...? No, that couldn't be him, Lelouch is a commoner...' She thought, squinting and hitting the enter key, a video popped up. She hit play... and she slowly went into shock as Lelouch walked on stage, _her_ Lelouch, and claimed the throne in front of everyone. The letter was read by Odysseus, proving his claim...

She slumped back in her chair, jaw slightly parted, she was trying to convince herself this was all a crazy dream and she was in purgatory, yet this all felt too real.

She sat back up and exited out, seeing another video labeled "His majesties first decrees, no more number system for areas? Cease fire with the E.U.? Nobility arrested for criminal offences?" She clicked on it, hearing a heartfelt speech, it was his voice, his way of speaking, his charismatic ways of the word, she knew it was him, and she couldn't be more happy for what he was doing...

"This is so wonderful Lelouch... you are doing so much... don't worry, I'm on my way, I'll be there for you, even if Kallen stole your heart I'll be your friend, or whatever you need me to be." She got up, and started to walk out, giving Milly a quick glance.

"Sorry Madame president, I promise I'll come back." With that, she left the room, she didn't have much money, the jewelry they buried her with would have to be sold, her necklace and ring should be enough for a one way flight to Pendragon... though it was a shame... this belonged to her family, her mother buried her with it, she would be so sad to sell them...

She walked down the hall, beginning to enter the boys dormitory in Ashford, the strangest thing however was that there was a single person standing in front of the student council room, where Lelouch essentially lived before he became emperor.

"Um, hello?" She called out.

"Oh, I'm sorry, could you help me, I'm trying to find someone, my brother."

"What's his name? I'm sure I could help." Shirley offered sweetly while walking over to the figure, she was dressed in black, just like her, and had a large, wide brimmed hat covering her head.

The woman tilted their head up, revealing lilac eyes and a few stray locks of bubble-gum pink hair.

"His name is Lelouch."

* * *

The senate of the E.U. and their president sat in a large room centered around a podium, along with former members of the U.F.N. that recently joined, at this podium was just one man, he had blonde hair and blue eyes with regal white clothes.

"So we are in accord? In exchange for supporting The E.U. as both a funder, military strategist, and donator of troops, the E.U. will support the coronation of Prince Schneizel as the 100th emperor of Britannia, so long as the empire releases all control over Euro-Britannian territory?" The E.U. President asked.

The room was filled with a resounding call of affirmatives, and Schneizel smiled at his spot.

"Thank you for being so kind, I assure you that once this war is over we shall all prosper in a new peace unlike any had seen before." He announced, the kind and gentle persona was met well with the others, and he said his goodbyes before exiting.

Upon leaving, and ensuring his privacy, his gentle grin turned absolutely insane.

"Oh, so much to do... so little time... I do hope you are ready for our next game of chess Lelouch, its a shame we couldn't settle anything with the last match..." He said with a bout of laughter. "This is going to be most entertaining..."

'I wonder if the Damocles will be ready soon? I should check up with the engineers to make sure there are no more setbacks...'

As he walked out of the building and into his limo Suzaku pulled the door open for him, he got in the car and the knight joined him. The car then began to drive down the streets of Paris.

"Where to now, your majesty?" The driver asked.

"To the airport please, I wish to return to the Avalon. I do have a war to prepare for after all."

"Yes sir, right away."

Schneizel looked at Suzaku, who was on the other side of the seat, staring out the window.

"Are you alright Knight Kururugi?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes sir, just thinking."

"May I inquire as to what it is about?"

"Just, everything that's been happening, its been crazy and hectic and I'm trying to sort it all out."

'It was an accident!' Suzaku had been so preoccupied he forgot what Lelouch said about Euphie on the Ikagura. He only just remembered in a vivid dream of the event just last night, after he went back to his room.

'You think I _wanted_ to kill her!?' He had screamed hysterically.

'Lelouch... I'm sorry... I should have tried to get all of the info before making my decision about you... I let that blonde little midget manipulate me and it led to you suffering dearly because I was too caught up in my own grief...' He thought as he fingered the pendant Euphie gave him.

'I'm sorry...' He murmured quietly in his own head as he stared out onto the streets of Paris.

"I see..." Schneizel began. "Well then I do hope you figure things out soon, we wont have much time for philosophy and reflecting once this war gets underway." He advised before closing his eyes and relaxing in his seat.

'...What the hell do I do now?'

* * *

Lelouch walked into the new Camelot R&D center in Pendragon, Kallen was at his side. They made their way down a series of hallways and through doors until reaching an elevator that took them down several sub levels below ground. The walked out, and into a rather large, open area.

Or at least it would be if It wasn't filled to the brim with half finished knightmares, parts, limbs, tables, engineers and such. Lloyd was conversing with Rakshata in front of the Guren.

"It looks like they aren't slitting each-others throats." Kallen said hopefully.

"We shall see."

As they made their way closer, the conversation between the two could be heard.

"I'm telling you the RWS would be better using refined Polonium as its ammunition." Lloyd said offhandedly.

"Yes, I understand that, but the problem is that it would leave backlash radiation, the RWS was meant to handle low yield refined radioactive materials to power itself up for use, if we use anything more than slightly refined uranium-235 it could overload the projector and subsequently leave deadly radiation in the wake of the initial use instead of evaporating after use like I designed it so it wouldn't harm the environment or people beyond its use to defend and make things explode when hit." She explained.

"I suppose you are right, well what about- oh, our royal guests are here." Lloyd said, turning to look at Lelouch and Kallen.

"Lloyd, Rakshata, nice to see you, how much progress has been made?"

"Its splendid!" Lloyd replied. "We have already finished reverse engineering the Gracchus class donated to us by Euro-Britannia. We should be able to begin mass production soon to replace the Sutherland and Gloucesters in their entirety." Rakshata continued for him.

"Good, and I see you are looking at the Guren, do you have anything to add to my queen's frame?" Kallen blushed a little but remained silent.

"Not add, more like improve what's there, we already came to the decision that you could use a bit more versatility on the field, we where messing around with the idea of turning your other hand into a secondary RWS, perhaps adding in a 30 millimeter mini-gun and producing a new set of fork-knives for you to use... we have been drawing up a few concepts for a _new_ design for the RWS but nothing concrete." Cecile said while walking up to them with a clip-board in her hands.

"Keep up the good work you three. We will need every advantage."

War was coming, everyone knew it, the whole thing was only a matter of time, who would blink first?

* * *

A/N Yup, that happened, the U.F.N. just turned traitor and joined the E.U. with Schneizel in charge of many military affairs. Also, YAY, Shirley and Euphie are back cuz god decided to be nice. Also, since Shirley is back, and C.C. is there, I gotta ask if you guys want this to be a harem fic? Just let me know in your review or PM and I'll make a decision.


	13. Rising Tensions

A/N Hello, that is all... actually wait, no, Lelouch's royal guard now looks like how they did when he became emperor in the anime, the only difference is that their uniforms are black and white with gold trim instead of white and grey, and their visors are a royal violet instead of a pale reddish lilac like they were in the show.

* * *

 _What do you do when there is an evil you cannot defeat by just means? Do you stain your hands with evil to destroy evil, or do you remain steadfastly just and righteous even if it means surrendering to evil?_

 _-Lelouch VI Britannia-_

* * *

Several days had passed since the re-organization of Britannia, both its status quo and military. Lelouch was sitting at a desk in his office, the dark colors of black, violet, blue and a bit of gold where easy on the eyes, a very good thing...

Especially since he had been sitting there, going over a mountain of papers for over 6 hours straight, going on 7.

He took a moment to rub his tired, bloodshot eyes, the document in his hand was a new constitutional amendment he had been writing up, with this, document in place, no emperor after him would be able to commit the atrocities his father had allowed. The past few papers he finished where orders for the reconstruction of the ghettos in Japan. He had to get the proper materials and contractors, but this needed to get done.

He had to prove he wasn't his father, not only to the people he now ruled over but to himself...

Kallen walked in at that moment, took one good look at the amalgamation of papers that threatened to break the desk by sheer weight and sighed. She walked over to him, standing behind him. She gently slipped the paper out of his hands and wrapped her arms around him, bringing the top of his head into the crook of her neck.

"You need to relax babe, this crap is killing you." She mumbled.

"I know, I just need to get a few more things done and-"

"No." She cut him off. "You have worked very hard to fix Britannia and turn it into something great, the people are happy, the commoners are being treated better, the people who where numbers are singing your praises in the streets, the nobility that replaced the old court are much better than what we had before. The military has straightened its act out, and there have been literally no terrorist attacks in any former areas ever since you made your announcement that they where getting their lives back. You did it Lelouch, you destroyed the old Britannia and put something better in its place, and I am proud of you." She said softly but firmly.

He allowed himself to relax in his chair, slumping in it, and Kallen responded by rubbing his shoulders.

"Thanks Kallen, I needed to hear that..." He mumbled. "I am concerned however, the black knights have remained on total radio silence, any attempts to contact the Ikagura have failed, and Cornelia was on board, I fear for their safety."

"Cornelia may be dangerous, but I think she honestly considered what you said to her before the battle, I don't believe she would try anything." She offered.

"I know, but still, I worry."

She smiled softly, walking around and straddling his lap, he put his hands on her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck, they met each other for a few light kisses, the small pecks on each others lips bringing pleasure to the both of them.

There was a knock at the door, and they both sighed, Kallen dismounted herself from Lelouch's lap.

"Come in."

One of his royal guard walked in, his guard captain to be more precise. You could tell because she had a golden imperial crest on her chest, something all others lacked.

"My lord, there are two people here who wish to see you, they claim to know you."

"Their names?"

"One of them didn't wish to identify herself, but the other said her name was Shirley Fenette."

He paused at that, blinking in surprise, and Kallen blinked owlishly. "Its alright, send them in." Lelouch finally replied.

The guard captain nodded and walked away, shutting the door, a few minutes later, she returned, ushering 2 figures through the door.

Lelouch stood from his seat, waiting.

The first one in was a woman with orange hair and green eyes, the next had hair that was bubblegum pink, and lilac eyes.

"Euphie, Shirley..." He whispered.

"LULU!" The two tackled him to the ground and continued to glomp and smother him at their leisure.

Kallen stood back and laughed.

* * *

 **Days later...**

Lelouch, wearing his recreation of the Kingsley outfit stood in a command center in the city of Moscow. Surrounding him where several officers, and leaders of Euro-Britannian knight orders. To his left where those in charge of the Knights of St. Michael, as well as the Knights of St. Raphael and Marrybell mel Britannia, the acting commander of the Glinda Knights. To his right where the Knights of St. Gabriel and the Knights of St. Uriel. Standing directly on his right was Kallen in her Knight of the round leotard, and to his left was C.C. in a more formal officers outfit. The doors where guarded by his new royal guard.

Outside the windows a military encampment could be seen, soldiers where running drills, tanks and armored cars where moving about. A train was unloading fresh Vincent ward and Gracchus class knightmares to reinforce and replace the tired and true Sutherland and Gloucester class. There was a light snow building up as the flakes drifted down from the sky, coating tents and buildings and stray vehicles. Guarding the black and gold G-1 where a pair of red, black and yellow Gloucester swordsmen, 4 Sutherland's of the same color and, Lancelot High Grail from the Glinda knights along a full platoon of troopers. the rest of the camp was ready to move if something where to happen.

Up above Moscow a reasonably well sized fleet of airships loomed in defensive formation, 3 Logres class floating battleships, and 12 Carleon class cruisers.

"Thank you all for attending, it is imperative that we prepare for war, it is inevitable." Lelouch said to all whom occupied the room.

"Your thanks are not necessary your majesty, it is our duty to the empire." Augusta Velaines responded from his spot at the table.

"Regardless, you have my appreciation, now, we need to set up a proper defense network while we prepare a counter attack. You all have more experience with the E.U. and know the land better, so I will defer to you for now." Lelouch directed.

Andrea Farnese, commander of the Knights of St. Raphael, stepped forward. "Saint Petersburg has always been a target for them, if their opening volley is anything like before their first offensive will likely be there. Voronezh and Volgograd are also prime targets." The white haired man reported.

"Lets not forget about the very city we are in right now, Warsaw is only a hop, skip, and a jump away from here for the Euro armed forces." C.C. reminded the group.

"Then we should split our forces evenly amongst them, we can't leave a weak link for them to exploit, perhaps in the future we could bait them into a trap but at the moment we can't afford it." Kallen Recommended.

"That sounds reasonable. Lloyd, what is the condition of those reinforcements?" Lelouch asked the eccentric scientist, the white haired man was on a screen in front of them.

"It will be a while yet, the problem isn't a lack of resources, we have yet to perfect the fabrication and assembly process. The moment we can bring production into full swing we can start retrofitting all of our forces with new 7th gen knightmares, until then you will have to make due with some of the older models." He reported while fixing the positioning of his glasses.

"I see, well then go double time, we will need them to weather the coming assault." Lloyd gave a quirky bow before the transmition was cut.

"So then, how do we split our forces?" Andrea questioned.

A map was brought up on the tactical table, bringing up the far western reaches of Euro-Britannian territory.

"In terms of knightmares we have 10,000 Sutherlands, 2000 Gloucester swordsmen, 500 Vincent wards, 350 Gracchus class, 100 Vincent command types, and the Knight police with Glasgows, we aren't entirely sure how many are in stock but if we get desperate we can pull them up and do quick retrofits for frontline combat." Augusta reported to the group. "Not including specialized units such as the Guren and Shinkiro." He finished.

"Along with that we have 3 separate army groups, each consisting of 100 fully equipped armored divisions, they are split up along the border, army group north protecting St Petersburg, army group central covering Moscow and Volgograd, and army group south protecting the oil deposits and the caucuses." A requisitions officer stated.

"Split our knightmares amongst them and put them on constant high alert, beyond that, there isn't much else we can do..." Lelouch mumbled while staring at the map.

"What do we do about their knightmare infiltration squad, the W-0 unit?"

"Leave them to me. I have a bit of a history with their commanding officer." C.C. declared from her spot.

"Very well, is there anything else we need to discuss?" Lelouch asked the room.

He was met with silence.

"Meeting adjoined then, we will meet again in three days time to review the situation and progress, until then, stay safe." He turned and left the G-1 with Kallen and C.C. flanked by a pair of his royal guard.

* * *

Lelouch couldn't help but to admire the view, as he stood upon a hill outside the main encampment at stared out into the light snow falling upon an evergreen forest, the sun peeking over the horizon as it continued to set, his black coat kept him warm. He heard the crunch of snow behind him, and he turned his head to see that Kallen had joined him, he smiled a little, ushering her over to his side.

She stood next to him, looking out into the expanse with him.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" She asked.

"Not as beautiful as you." He replied with a cheeky smile.

She giggled. "You are so cheesy."

He shrugged, smiling at her. He slowly leaned over and captured her lips, which she accepted quite happily. They unlocked their lips and wrapped their arms around each other as they stared into the horizon.

And as they stared out into the horizon, the sun peeking over the edge, they both silently agreed while holding each other that at the moment, they couldn't be happier.

* * *

Leila Malcal was beyond tense, even as she stared out at the hastily assembled factory next to castle Weiswolf from the window of her bedroom, as soon as the required parts had arrived, partial mass production of the type-2 Alexander. She would prefer to do it with the Valiant type, but it was too high cost to do so.

Her main problem was that the type-2 required that there was no cockpit ejection system... any frame that went down would likely take the pilot with it.

She let out a frustrated sigh and closed the book that sat upon her desk, she was in no mood to read it, there was far too much on her mind.

She suddenly heard the door creak open, and then shut, whomever came in didn't try to do so quietly, and she didn't hear anyone pull a weapon, so she calmly turned around. She saw someone in a familiar white robe, the person in question pulled the hood down.

She looked upon the person in shocked recognition.

"...Its you." Leila muttered while staring at C.C.

"Greetings, lady Malcal, it had been a while."

"Thank you, for saving me that day. How did you get past security?" She asked.

"A magician never tells his secrets." C.C. said cryptically.

"Right... well, what are you here for?"

"I come with an offer, should you accept it, you will have made the right choice not only for yourself and your unit but for the people of the world."

"And, what offer is that?"

C.C. smirked.

* * *

A/N another one down! Also, incase you didn't see the announcement I posted and then deleted a few days ago, I have decided that it shall remain pure Kalulu in this story for the foreseeable future.


	14. Turning Tides

A/N not as many reviews as I would have hoped for but meh, I guess you win some and you lose some.

* * *

It was beautiful, a sentiment that could be held by both sides, the evergreen trees and the light dusting of snow that covered the forests was a sight to behold. The serene quiet and calm could easily relax the nerves, especially when a dawn sun shown through the cracks in the tree line, turning white flakes of snow into a sparkling gold as while they lay on the branches and blanketed the ground.

The peace was disturbed however, when a black and blue metal foot came down onto the snow, the soft blanket crunched and compressed under the pressure. A Vincent ward was walking through, behind it where 28 other Vincents spread out over 100 square meters throughout the forest, passing through trees, every once in a while activating the pair of fact spheres on their shoulders before continuing forward.

The lead Vincent stopped and looked up, seeing a violet and silver Vincent command model equipped with a float unit making its way down. The command unit hovered for a minute before touching down and addressing the group via radio.

"The city of Lublin is just over the hill, our arty brigade will commence bombardment as soon as platoons 1, 3, 4, and 5 are in position, the 96th armored division will provide heavy vehicle and infantry support, air wing foxtrot will provide air cover-"

He was interrupted when someone else spoke on the radio. "This is commander Clermont from 5th platoon. I've just received word that army group north is prepared to initiate its assault through Belarus, and will start hitting the cities of Bialystok, Lapy, and Ostrow-Mazowiecka any moment. Army group south is about to push through Slovakia. Platoon leaders, report, are you in position?"

"Platoon 1 in position."

"Platoon 2 copies platoon 1."

"Roger that, platoon 3 is on sight."

"Platoon 4 is green and awaiting orders."

"Good, I'm calling it in, attention artillery batteries, platoons 1 through 5 are in position and the 96th is holding steady behind us, we await your signal to begin the engagement."

* * *

Rows upon rows of high velocity howitzers where lined up just a few kilometers away, a radio operator inside the G-1 behind the formation received the report.

"Affirmative, commander, we are ready to attack, awaiting your orders."

Augusta Velaines gave a curt nod. "All army groups are ready, begin the assault."

The radio operator turned back to his station. "Commence the attack!"

Britannian troopers began rushing to their stations, loading ordinance into their guns and double checking their aim, once all batteries where ready, the signal was given to fire...

"All batteries fire at will!"

"On the way!"

As one, cords where pulled all across the regiment, and a single resounding shockwave followed as several hundred guns fired in tandem with each other...

Even though they where kilometers away they could hear a symphony of small explosions as their artillery unleashed its first salvo, soon enough the whistle of the metal shells carrying explosives through the air could be heard as it neared its target...

Without warning, a multitude of explosions could be heard from just over the ridge.

A voice began speaking over their radios all across the front, the voice of their emperor.

"To the many brave soldiers who risk their lives to end the threat of Europa United, I thank you, I thank you for trusting me as your leader, but if a king does not lead how can he expect his subordinates to follow, I myself, shall take part in the offensive!"

A shadow loomed over the Knightmares in the forest, and they looked up to see a Britannian air battleship move into position, flanked by a pair of air destroyers and Avalon class support cruisers. The Shinkiro Dynamo flew down with dark purple energy wings, the black and gold frame touching down in front of them, followed shortly by the Guren Seiten.

"Your majesty-" One of his soldiers began. "You are too important, I urge that you remain on the ship and behind friendly lines where it is safe..."

"No." The short, curt reply left no room for arguments, the four glowing violet eyes of the Shinkiro stared them down. "I will fight by your side, it is my duty, and as such I shall not shy away from combat in a war that involves my county. My knight of Zero can protect me easily enough."

The Shinkiro and Guren turned to look at the ridge and walked the last few meters to look over, the artillery salvos continued to pour in one after another. While the civilians had evacuated, E.U. military was still entrenched in the city below, explosions continued to tare the buildings to shreds, plumes of smoke rising. Sometimes hitting knightmares or infantry groups in the process, the turrets and walls outside could not protect against hell raining from above.

* * *

 **Que - It Has Begun - By Starset**

* * *

Over a hundred knightmares began to line the ridge, Sutherlands, Gloucesters, Gracchus, and Vincents, as one they pulled out their weapons, knightmare rifles, swords, axes, lances, riot shields, and deployed their land spinners.

"All hail Britannia! All hail Lelouch! Charge!" The cry echoed across the battle-net and they all blazed down the ridge at high speeds, the E.U. responded, deploying Panzer-Hummels, Gardmares, and Alexanders forming up behind the massive barricades.

The Guren reached the wall first, planting its fork knife into the wall, cutting through and using it to vault over, landing in the middle of a group of Alexanders. One of them tried to kill her by deploying its wrist blade and piercing the cockpit, but the Guren sliced its arm off, then grabbed its head with the golden clawed RWS and pumped radiation into it, the frame began to warp and bubble. She let go and it exploded.

It was at that point that she began a deadly dance with them, moments later, the wall was torn apart, falling to pieces. The Britannian knightmares climbed over the debris and began to brawl with the enemy knightmares...

A Sutherland rushed in, burying its axe into the underbelly of a Panzer Hummel, pivoting around the wounded machine and using its knightmare rifle to unload upon another that was behind it. The Sutherland then ripped its axe out of the first and smashed the blunt end of its rifle into the enemy frame, knocking it down.

A Gloucester swordsman rushed another Alexander using its MVS blade to parry the enemy wrist blade and quickly decapitated it, kicking the headless frame square in the chest, knocking it to the ground. A plethora of Vincent wards began to enter a fire fight with Gardmares. After a few where cut down the Gardmares attempted to launch missiles at them in desperation to swing the fight in their favor. But they where cut down mid flight by a slew of what appeared to be bright purple lasers, they detonated in mid air, and when the smoke cleared, the Shinkiro was hovering above them with its dark purple energy wings.

It deployed its crystal from the chest cavity and fired its energy weapon once more. The beam fractured into dozens and sliced through many enemy knightmares like a hot knife through warm butter. The enemy frames fell to pieces, the armor and metal holding them together cut clean through with precision and smoke rose from the white hot lacerations.

The Guren slammed its fork knife into the face of another Alexander using a reverse grip, the lights in the head of the enemy frame flickering while sparks flew from the wound and the knightmare desperately clawed away at the opening. She then tore its head off by pulling the knife out and smashing her Guren's clawed hand into the helm. Kallen ducked just in time to avoid the swing of another blade and she fired her slash harken at the chest of another Alexander, ripping it open and sending the machine flying.

An air battle soon began overhead, as Euro-fighter typhoons began a high altitude dogfight with F-18, YF-22, and F-35 fighter jets, and in the Mediterranean a naval battle ensued between the Britannian royal navy and the E.U. naval forces.

Lelouch smirked after taking a moment to examine his tactical readout, the enemy was being routed on all fronts and the battles on sea and in the air where slowly turning in his favor.

"Your majesty, enemy ship incoming!"

Lelouch whipped his head up to see the original Avalon peeking through the clouds, no doubt Schneizel had seen fit to join the battle knowing Lelouch would be there.

"All units regroup on grid 7 and await further instructions, air control prepare to launch flight enabled knightmares on my command."

"Yes, my lord!" He watched as the IFF tags of his units formed up on his position and the small air fleet he brought with assumed a more defensive formation.

"Artillery brigade, how is your aim, over?" He asked quickly over the radio.

"We could hit something 3 meters by 3 meters give or take if we could properly set up, what do you require your highness, over?"

"I was wondering if you could rain hell on the Avalon, how copy?"

"We copy that your highness, if you could pop smoke and give us some decent coordinates we could light that thing up like Pendragon on foundation day sir, over."

"Roger that, I'll contact you when I have what you need, over and out." He tuned the radio to a different frequency. "Foxtrot wing, I have a mission for you, over."

"Roger, what do you need your majesty, over?"

"Do you have any sidewinders with target lock capabilities and smoke, over?"

"Roger, one of my wingmen has a missile with phosphorous to help melt through metal incase you needed us to hit a bunker, its bright and makes a lot of smoke if it keeps burning, over."

"Good, can you get close to the Avalon and hit it with that missile? I'm going to use it for our artillery battery to spot, over."

"Copy that, 71st squadron will distract them and my wingman will hit them with that thing, over."

"Get it done, over and out."

He switched back to the line for artillery and began to speak. "Avalon is in sector 83, grid 4, approximately 2 kilometers above ground level, our flyboys are going to make it noticeable, be on the lookout, over and out."

He saw his fighter squadron begin to encircle the floating ship and it reacted by firing its hadron and varis cannons. A few missiles where launched and 20 mm armor piercing cannons began to fire, but the Avalon turned on its blaze luminous shielding, deflecting the ordinance sent its way. What the crew of the Avalon did not expect however was that an F-18 super hornet would dive out of the clouds behind and above it, launching all of its missiles at the enemy ship.

They hit the Avalon, as the shields did not deploy in time to stop them, the armor stopped most of them, but the second last punched through the armor, and the phosphorous missile went through the hole, detonating inside, fire erupted from the hole, and soon smoke began to spill out, massive plumes of smoke flying out like an erupting volcano. The fighter squadron dispersed, and Lelouch smiled, waiting for the inevitable.

Soon enough, he heard the guns fire, and the Avalon went up in flames, torn to shreds by overwhelming firepower and sent plummeting to the earth.

Lelouch frowned. "That was too easy."

"Well of course it was." Scheizel's voice said from his screen, he looked down to see his communications had been hacked.

"Schneizel."

"Lelouch."

"It would seem you where not on the Avalon as I had hoped."

"Correct, I am on my new flagship, would you like to see?" Something began to exit the clouds at that point above the flaming wreckage of the Avalon, Lelouch could only describe it as a stake to be driven into the heart of the earth as 3 kilometers of it drifted down.

"It is the Damocles, isn't it wonderful?"

"It's something alright." Lelouch growled.

"It is equipped with flejia warheads, after this battle is over it will climb into the upper atmosphere and from there it can hit any major city in the world."

"You monster! You would kill so many for your own twisted version of peace!?" Kallen's voice spat, and an image of her face etched with rage took up another screen.

"Peace is worth any price, if a few billion have to die then so be it." Suddenly the screen portraying Schneizel went black, a moment later, someone else took his place.

"Nunnally!?" Lelouch cried out, her sister was sitting before him.

And she was staring right at him, her eyes were open.

"You can see, that's wonderful!"

"Lelouch, you did it for me, didn't you, the lying, the killing, the destruction, you started this rebellion to create the world that I had wished for, didn't you?"

"Nunnally I... yes... I did."

She smiled at him. "I forgive you."

He released a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

"I hate the world our family made, and I hate that you had to be the one to fix it, but I don't hate you brother. Schneizel is about to regain control of the network, he can hear us, so I have something to say before our connection is cut."

Nunnally smiled. "Fuck you Schnozzle, you're not my brother. Lelouch. Kick. His. Ass." The screen went black and a disheveled Schneizel took his spot back, his lips pressed into a thin line. Kallen's muffled laughter could be heard.

"Lancelot, deploy, kill Lelouch."

Her laughter stopped and the Lancelot in its white and gold glory flew down and landed in front of the Shinkiro, standing just a few meters away from it. Dozens of other Vincent's pored out from the hangars and landed in front of his own forces.

"Suzaku."

"Lelouch."

The Guren plowed straight through a building and moved to protect Lelouch from the Lancelot and its pilot. It assumed a combat stance, flaring its wings charging the RWS.

The tension in the air was palpable.

"Suzaku, I order you to stop."

Suzaku gasped, his hands tightening on the controls, his chest constricting and his eyes widening.

"Euphie...?"

"Yes Suzaku, it's me." The voice of his princes could be heard from the Shinkiro, the Pink haired princes hijacked its loud speakers.

"Suzaku, continue your mission as ordered or I will kill her." Suzaku's eyes widened.

"Schneizel!"

"Quiet little sister, a battlefield is for grownups. Kururugi I will not repeat myself."

The Lancelot stood there for a moment before pulling out a pair of blades. He rushed forward, Kallen deployed the RWS to block the strike, then increased power to repulse him. The Lancelot was sent back, and Kallen advanced. Meanwhile the battle begun between Schneizel's troops and Lelouch's

"Lelouch, go stop Schneizel, I can handle Suzaku!"

"But who will lead the ground troops!?"

A Vincent ward that was rushing towards him was suddenly impaled with a massive golden lance, a vibrant purple standard Gloucester custom ran the large lance through the Vincent, before pivoting and backhanding it by slamming its riot shield into the pommel of the lance, causing it to go even further into the Vincent. The enemy frame fell to its knees, and the Gloucester ripped its lance out of the Vincent's back while stomping its face into the concrete. Its billowing white cape and horns made it seem very familiar. Suddenly many more Gloucesters in a slightly less vibrant purple rushed in supporting his troops and skewering the enemy Vincents.

"What...?"

A pair of long red beams fired at the Damocles, while the shields held, they still flickered, and a few enemy frames floating around it where vaporized. The Shinkiro turned to see the Ikagura forming up with his air fleet, deploying Burai, Burai Kai, Gekka, Akatsuki and Zikisan Knightmares.

"The black knights!? But how!?" Lelouch was flabbergasted.

"It took a little convincing and some time to pull them together but they figured it wouldn't be very honorable to leave their leader hanging." An amused and familiar voice said from the bright purple frame.

"Cornelia, you-"

"Decided to join my little brother, yes. I'm sorry it took so long, you go teach our errant half sibling a lesson, I will gladly direct our forces as a field commander. Explanations can wait." She said, quickly going into soldier mode, her voice made no room for argument. "Guilford, come, let us show these sniveling worms how real knights fight!" She roared while rushing in with the black knights and the Glastons that survived the black rebellion.

Lelouch smirked. "Air fleet, deploy float knightmares and assault the Damocles, I will create an opening!" The Shinkiro launched into the air, its laser and Hadron cannons blasted through the shield and he managed to hold it open with his absolute defense system , dozens of his own knightmares poured through and began to destroy its point defense system. Lelouch then used his hadrons to blow a hole into the Damocles and entered the floating fortress...

* * *

A/N Review puny mortals!


	15. Stars of Destruction

The hallways where extensive, that much Lelouch knew for certain as he rounded corner after corner in the upper decks of the Damocles.

"This thing has to have some sort of elevator or lift to move around knightmares... I just have to find it... unless..." Lelouch stopped for a moment, his eyes narrowing. He smirked.

"Oh Schneizel, you have made a folly, you intend to place me in check, but little do you know you have placed yourself in front of the enemy king. How poetic considering what happened in China... hahahahaha!"

* * *

There was a courtyard in the middle of a quiet part of the city. Right in front of an old church, while the battle raged all around and the sounds of gunfire could be heard, it was peaceful here.

 **SMASH!**

The Lancelot Albion plummeted from the sky, He and Kallen had been going at it for a few minutes now, the duel was intense and evenly matched. Even with his geass to live in place he found it neigh impossible to land a single good hit. They where doing this for their respective loves. Suzaku to protect Euphemia, Kallen to protect Lelouch.

The white and gold machine crashed into the ground, tumbling in the dirt and snow of Poland. It quickly righted itself and got into another combat stance with his twin blades, Kallen got in a good whack but he was still fully functional.

The crimson queen herself soon graced the field herself, touching down in front of the Lancelot. She readied her fork knife, and charged up her RWS once more.

There was no need to talk.

Lancelot attacked first, blazing forward with his land spinners on full power and swinging with his first sword. Kallen dodged and swung with her fork knife, it was so fast one could hardly see it, but he blocked it. He quickly attempted to get off a quick shot with his shoulder mounted hadron, but Kallen's RWS activated in the nick of time and absorbed the blow.

She kicked him away, using the momentum to backflip into the air and launched a few missiles to distract him, then opened up the distance further with her land spinners in full reverse and tearing up the ground as the wheels screeched with friction, pointing her claw at him. Suzaku dodged 2 of the 3 missiles, and they exploded behind him, the third was blocked by his shield. The smoke was thick, so he activated his fact spheres, but when he did he saw something coming straight for him. The Guren had fired its claw, the tow cable still attached while rockets and laser targeting systems guided it to the Lancelot. Even he was not fast enough and the golden claw latched onto its head. The cable retracted, pulling him towards her as she readied her knife.

Suzaku countered by quickly attempting to slice the cable with one of his blades, but the Guren fired its harken smashing into his hand, knocking the sword out of it. He didn't have enough time to sever the cord with the other, so when the Guren was finished pulling him in, the fork knife was immediately planted in the Lancelot's abdomen and dragged across, cutting deep and causing the frame to leak coolant along with Sakuradite.

He wondered why she didn't simply kill him with the RWS, but the dim glow being cast from the red bulb inside was proof enough that its charge had been spent, hence why she resorted to the knife. That gave him the opportunity to grab her non clawed hand and pull the knife out, he swung with his spare sword to cut the clawed arm off, but Kallen retracted her arm before he could cut it off.

They where both starting to lose patience...

Suzaku grit his teeth, swinging his sword again, Kallen's fork knife caught it, and using the slightly better agility, managed to disarm him from it, twisting his hand and bending it, causing the sword to fall out of his grip. He took the opportunity to plant a fist into the Guren's gut, the metal cracking and fracturing from the force of the impact. It was enough to cause her to disengage and fall back a little.

"Kallen-" Suzaku was panting for breath at the moment, this fight was the most intense he ever had. "I told you before that I didn't want to kill you... but I need to kill Zero, and you are in my way, if I need to end your life to remove you as an obstacle then so be it!"

"Then come get me traitor!"

They screamed at each other and ran, not use their land spinners, they ran towards their opponent and swung as fast as they could. The Lancelot used a spinning kick, the back of its heel made contact with the side of the Guren's head, cracking the armor and causing one of the eyes to begin to flicker rapidly.

The Guren got a hit in as well, its clawed hand swiped at the Lancelot like an angry lion, tarring the face plate open and snapping one of the golden pieces of its helmet clean off. The Lancelot stumbled back, some of the wires in its head cut clean through as it attempted to redirect power and functions through different circuitry. The Guren was in a similar predicament, it stumbled to the right and dropped to one knee, its eye still flickering.

It only stopped the fight for a moment however, as not but a few seconds later, the two frames recovered enough that they where at each other's throats once more. Their movements coordinated, and yet furious as they entered a deadly dance, the Lancelot threw a flurry of rapid jabs, the Guren moved with lightning speed to avoid each one before bringing her knife in a downward strike, he pivoted to the right, letting it pass, and then went low, attempting to sweep her legs out from under her, she used this to her advantage, stopping her fall with her hands and spinning the Guren's waist, the back heel of her foot slamming into the wrist of the Lancelot's left hand as he blocked it, the ferocious strike cracked the armor plating and splintered it.

They pulled back, and began to circle one another like predators...

* * *

Schneizel sighed in his blue reclining chair aboard his stealth shuttle. Nunnally was glaring at the back of his head, her mouth taped shut and tied to her chair. A blank monitor sitting on the wall before him.

The loss of the Damocles would take time to recover, but he could manage, it wasn't a total loss after all. Soon the Damocles will self destruct, taking Lelouch and his forces to the grave with him. Schneizel just needed to clear the blast radius. The moment the Shinkiro penetrated the outer defenses Schneizel knew nothing could stop Lelouch, even though he wasn't as good at piloting a knightmare as Marianne once was he had a 9th generation command frame, a few Sutherlands with float units weren't going to do much against him other than irritate him.

"Sir-" Kannon began. "We are receiving a hail... it is from Lelouch I believe."

"Put him on."

The screen turned on, showing Lelouch sitting in the Shinkiro. The Violet eyed emperor stared him down for a moment before speaking.

"I have a question, were you intending to use the Damocles as a tool to dominate the world?"

"I wasn't, I only wanted to give everyone what they wanted, to bring peace to civilization."

"Disregarding humanity's true nature?"

"That's a matter of opinion."

"Then you actually imagined you could maintain the world in a perpetual state of now. But, life without change might be called anything except life, it's nothing more than experience."

"But, link those together and they become knowledge right?"

The thin line on Lelouch's face became a small smile at that answer. "Schneizel you truly are superior, so superior you can't even see it. Yes, emperor Charles sought the past, you seek the present, but I, seek the future." Lelouch proclaimed.

"But the future may prove to be worse than the present."

"No, it will be better, because no matter how long it takes, people will continue to seek out happiness."

"Even though that will end up making people greedy? Ahahahaha, your folly also knows no limit, you are too emotional about this. Hope and dreams are merely names for aimless fiction." Schneizel rebuttled confidently.

"You're restricted, as you belong to the symbol known as a royal family, which looks down on the world-" As Lelouch says this, he cannot help but think about all the lives lost in his rebellion, but also about the good he is about to bring, a bitter sweet smile graces his face.

He continues. "I've seen it over and over, the people who struggle, the people who struggle against sadness, those that seek the future. How they all carry on wishing for happiness. Human nature is why I choose geass and to wear a mask."

"Lelouch, you're contradicting yourself. You, who continually denies the will of others, are standing here before us affirming the will of humanity. That's enough, kill me now and be done with it, you obviously know I am not on the Damocles. A fleija will still decimate you, we will gladly give our lives to bring peace to the world."

He felt a hand on his shoulder at that moment, and he began to turn in confusion.

"And that's how I came to my decision-" The Lelouch on screen continued, staring Schneizel down with a grin on his face and holding a black king piece in his hand.

"That I'd give you the gift of the words, you shall serve Zero." Lelouch ordered with his geass active, he was right behind Schneizel, the Lelouch on screen was nothing more than a recording.

"No."

Lelouch recoiled, and Schneizel stood up, turning to look at Lelouch.

"I must say, I am glad I discovered these special contact lenses, the ability to cancel geass is most useful, I would thank code-R for their work but they don't seem to be alive anymore." Schneizel continued.

Lelouch growled, it was just him and Schneizel. The geassed guard had subdued Kannon, and Nunnally was still tied up, though she brightened up seeing her brother in the room.

Lelouch pulled a gun, but before he could point it at Schneizel, the white prince pulled out a switch.

"This is a dead man's trigger, I am certain you are familiar with it no? Kill me, or remove it from my grasp, and all fleija warheads will be launched simultaneously, destroying every major city within range and killing millions. One is aimed at the very city your army and knight of zero is battling in."

"You-!" Lelouch was beyond pissed, at this point, it was a standoff...

* * *

The Guren charged the Lancelot faster than one could blink, the white frame quickly swung with one of its fists, the Guren dodged, ducking under the swing and tackling the Lancelot to the ground. They began a brutal fistfight and wrestling match, the Guren landed a hit with its knife into the Lancelot's arm, ripping open the armor and breaking a servo before he ended up kicking the Guren off and mounting the red machine, slamming a fist into the faceplate of the Guren. He tried to hit her again, but she caught the fist and gave the Lancelot a nasty head-butt.

They began to role, jostling for position, until they began to pick up momentum and the Guren got enough footing to hurl the Lancelot overhead and throw him to the ground, sending dirt and snow flying on impact. The Lancelot kept rolling, smashing through the brick wall of the church... sending debris flying on impact.

The battle continued to rage in the city around them, a Gracchus class under Lelouch got into a sword fight with a Vincent command unit, the dual rapiers clashing with the straight sword. Neither side had the advantage until the Gracchus extended one of its arms in a deadly thrust, piercing the cockpit and killing the pilot. It saw a Sutherland with an knightmare sized sniper rifle taking aim at Cornelia's Gloucester.

The Gracchus responded by deploying its foldable cannon and firing at the Sutherland, the enemy frame in question was pulling the trigger when it was hit, so the rifle was pointed up into the air when it fired.

* * *

The room was dead silent, as Lelouch and Schneizel stared each other down neither one was willing to be blinking first. Suddenly however, everyone was knocked to their feet as the shuttle rocked, the stray round from the Sutherland below hit the large, slow transport, causing it to shudder as it sustained damage.

Schneizel dropped the dead man's trigger...

"No..." Lelouch could hardly bring himself to breathe.

"Well... that is unfortun-"

 **Bang**

Schneizel stopped, his eyes rolling back as his body registered there was now a 9 millimeter hole in his head, he fell dead.

"No! Schn-!"

 **Bang**

Kannon joined him, Lelouch shot him as well...

* * *

The Lancelot slowly stumbled out of the church, one hand helping it lean against the wall, the other arm hanging useless by its side and claw marks marring its dented face. The Guren was in a similar condition, an obvious limp in its step, coolant slowly leaking from its cracked abdomen and its eye flickering still.

They both silently agreed that this had gone on long enough, someone had to die... now.

The Lancelot pulled itself together, going in for one last attack, he would either kill Kallen, or Kallen would kill him. It began to run at her, its only good arm raised and ready to punch straight through the chest, and kill the pilot.

As the Lancelot began to build up speed The Guren slowly knelt down, picking up the sword that Lancelot had dropped earlier. She stood, and waited.

The distance continued to close, the Lancelot building up more speed, it ended its run with one last leap forward, aiming for the cockpit.

The fist of the Lancelot grazed the Guren as the red machine pivoted to the left at the last second, the MVS in her right arm went straight through the Lancelot's chest, its own momentum driving the blade through, piercing the cockpit, and skewering Suzaku.

The Lancelot slumped over onto the Guren, no longer capable of supporting its own weight as the frame shut down.

Suzaku sat there in the cockpit, observing in the dim red emergency lights as his knightmare and body where punctured by one of his own blades.

"Thank you Kallen..."

"... You're welcome."

As the red rims around his eyes faded... Suzaku finally smiled, before slumping over in his seat, bleeding out...

The Guren struggled to push the Lancelot off, eventually it fell back, its back crashing into the ground, and its own sword still buried in its chest. Its green eyes flickered for a moment, and then dimmed to nothingness.

The Guren fell to its knees. And in her exhaustion, Kallen let go of the controls, falling into her seat and began to hyperventilate for air...

* * *

In the Damocles control center, the massive monitors turned blood red, and imprinted on their screens where radioactive hazard symbols as the battle station began its mission of mass destruction.

It fired at Germany...

A flickering purple object began to descend from the sky above the Reichstag, before detonating just above the building, the surrounding city of Berlin and its inhabitants where vaporized.

France...

A purple explosion vaporized the Eiffel tower, and turned the inhabitants of Paris to ash.

Euro Britannia...

A couple and their daughter where taking a tour of the Kremlin when a bright violet object fell from the sky...

Japan...

The ghettos where finally being reconstructed, but in the middle of the night evacuation sirens began to sound off, and people left their homes to see what was happening. Violet light was the last thing they would ever see.

The isles of Britain, The homeland, Italy, Spain...

Stars of destruction would continue to turn them all to ash...

* * *

Lelouch fell to his knees, staring at the monitor covered in Schneizel's blood, displaying the launch patterns of the Fleija's. The death toll was in the hundreds of millions already...

Another was being launched now... aiming at the city below... at his army, at the black knights, at Cornelia...

At Kallen...

His eyes widened, tears falling from them.

"No!" He clutched the monitor and screamed at it, as though his rage would cause the Damocles to stop.

It didn't...

On the ground below the Guren was still on its knees, Kallen was exhausted, she couldn't move even if she tried.

"Kallen!" Her head shot up to stare at her monitor, it was Lelouch, he looked more than distraught, he was loosing his mind.

"Wha- Lelouch what's wrong?"

"Its Schneizel! The Fleija's are launching remotely, one of them is aimed at the city, you have to get out!"

"I can't... Suzaku wore me out, I can hardly move..."

"No, Kallen don't talk like that, please, get up!"

"I'm sorry Lelouch."

"Kallen!"

"I love you..."

The Damocles launched a warhead at the city, landing in the middle of town square, the radiation corrupted the transmission and cut it off. Kallen closed her eyes, and after a few seconds, the massive purple explosion caught up to her, the shockwave preceding it leveling buildings and trees before she was caught in the blast...

* * *

Silence... as Nunnally sat there... staring at the monitor first in disbelief, then sadness and outrage while tears ran down her face, silence was what prevailed. The only sound was coming from Lelouch... as he sobbed.

Little did they know that not all was lost however...

On Kaminejima island C.C. stood in front of the thought elevator, the W-0 unit set up in the cave, and wyvern squadron was protecting the location from any possible interlopers.

She pressed her hand to the symbol of geass so prominently displayed on the wall, it turned bright red, and she disappeared into the ether.

She reappeared in C's world, standing upon clouds while Jupiter spun above her.

"You need to fulfill his wish you know." She said emotionlessly to the planet above.

"Yes, I know you technically already granted it, but considering that he saved your life don't you think you could count it as a continuous contract, at least give him a chance to fix this." She continued speaking to apparently no one.

"... Thank you, I can't tell you how grateful I am."

Jupiter stopped its rotation, the symbol of geass taking place in the great red spot, its rotation then reversed, the gas giant began to spin in the opposite direction.

* * *

 **Que - Levitate - By Revolt Production Music**

* * *

 _"God, please do not stop the flow of time!"_ His own voice echoed in his head.

The world of one Lelouch VI Britannia went white...

"What...?"

Silhouettes of clocks appeared around him. His vision was whitewashed, even he was but an outline, all color removed from him.

He suddenly felt as though he was flung backwards... his vision started to gain color as he sped through a tunnel of sorts, he felt like he was going to either feint or puke it was so strange.

 _"_ _The world cannot be changed with pretty words alone."_

'That's me... those are my words... what the hell is going on!?'

 _"If strength is justice, then is powerlessness a crime?"_

The speed at which he was moving felt like it was increasing, the tunnel began to grow erratic, twisting and turning and filled with color.

 _"I am not the one at fault, the world is."_

Suddenly he stopped, and then his body was flung forward into the rapidly narrowing tunnel.

 _"The world can change... it will change... I will change it... yes, I shall bring salvation!"_

His body stopped, and the colors where gone, he closed his eyes on reflex when his eyes blurred. He kept his eyes closed, but the white light was gone, now he felt hot, and he could gleam the flickering of dark purple light in front of his eyelids.

He felt something in his arms, he opened his eyes. He was kneeling on the floor, this time however, he was holding C.C. who was bleeding out from a gunshot wound in his arms.

He looked up, seeing a single Sutherland aiming at him, its pilot opened the hatch and stood, pointing a pistol at him. The soldiers around him where using flamethrowers to burn the bodies of those they had ruthlessly slaughtered in their mission. Britannian and Japanese alike.

Lelouch unveiled a savage, animalistic grin.

'So that's how it is... thank you C's world... I will make the most of this opportunity.'

Lelouch gently set C.C. down and stood to full height.

'No need to be so dramatic this time.'

"Die."

The command entered the eyes of all his enemies, like so, they all did as their prince commanded, the soldiers pointed their guns at each other, and the pilot put his gun to his temple.

He couldn't care less as they executed each other, their blood spilling all over the floor. The Guren and A Gekka fell from the ceiling, crashing through and landing in front of him. They kneeled before their master.

"This is going to be _fun._.."

* * *

A/N now before anyone starts, please don't flame me, I was already planning to do this when the story started, this was meant to be longer than what it otherwise would have been if I finished it with Lelouch defeating schnozzle outright. otherwise, review, tell me did you enjoy the fight between Kallen and Suzaku?

also with where I am headed with this story, the first few chapters where only the beginning, the reason I did this is because I didn't want the end of the story to be a copy paste of the final battle between Schneizel and Lelouch and then a happy ending that everyone expected, this way the story runs a bit longer, and I can have a bit more creative freedom with how it all ends.


	16. Enter stage right

"We await your command lord Zero, please, give us your orders." The voice of one Urabe from the four holy swords announced. His Gekka class knightmare kneeling before Lelouch, and Kallen's ever prominent Guren doing the same.

"Very well, I must thank you all for saving me, had it not been for your efforts then C.C. would not have been able to break the brainwashing effect done unto me by the empire." He began. "In order to properly command the battle I need proper equipment, Urabe, escort me to the security center, Kallen, start assisting the other black knights and be on standby for instructions." He said while pushing the dead body of the pilot out of the Sutherland and assuming control, last time he couldn't use it, but the pilot left the machine online and unlocked.

"Yes sir!" They replied in sequence. Urabe took the lead, and Kallen followed behind before splitting off to deal with the enemy harassing their members.

C.C. sat up at that moment, looked from side to side, then rolled her eyes. "Oh hey thanks for reversing time C.C. - oh yeah no problem Lelouch!" She complained, and then blew a strand of hair out of hey eyes.

Two Burai where holding off a fire team of Sutherlands scaling the casino, but fire was being returned, and they where getting antsy.

"Just hold on a little while, wait until Zero gets a layout of the building and then he can take over!" She told the wavering knights.

'Lelouch... I don't know what happened... I really don't... one moment the fleija dropped and the next... the next Urabe is in his Gekka who was dead last time I checked, my Guren is repaired and downgraded, I'm in this damn bunny suit and we are about to save you from the brainwashing with C.C.' She thought. 'I only hope that you remember me like I remember you, my king, wait for me.'

She burst through a concrete wall, slamming the head of a Sutherland into another concrete wall, her claw was primed and ready to fry. This one was shooting civilians, so she had no problem blowing it to pieces.

"Well done Q-1, now head up to level 21." Lelouch spoke with a smirk on his face through her radio. She nodded to herself and relaxed, following his orders was second nature like breathing at this point.

"P-4 block the stairway." A black knight fired an RPG at the archway, collapsing tons of concrete and barricading the entrance.

"R-5 left thirty degrees." A Burai fired multiple missiles at a trio of Sutherlands, obliterating them.

"N-1 fire barrage 50 meters ahead, angle towards the ceiling." Urabe's Gekka fired its wrist mounted 30 millimeter twin auto-cannons at the ceiling, strafing it. This resulted in the floor below a squad of Sutherlands to collapse, destroying them all.

In the G-1 on the highway viceroy Calares stared in awe as lost symbols appeared on floor after floor in the tower's projection on their tactical table. Several explosions erupting from the structure.

"Contact lost with lord Emilio!"

"Change the IFF codes!"

"We have, 5 times already!"

"Another unit was just wiped out!"

"Outrageous! Who's directing these terrorists!?"

In the halls of the casino Urabe was cutting up another Sutherland with his Gekka's sword."So, Zero really is just a student huh? Well he's something special!"

A black knight was gesturing towards his comrades. "Come on! Zero has more Sutherlands for us to use!"

A Burai scaled a pair of pillars with its land spinners, taking out a pair of Sutherlands with its battle rifle. "With Zero here we can win, he will make a miracle for us he will!" Another Burai decapitated a Sutherland with its harkens.

Lelouch chuckled. "Shouldn't Viceroy Calares be making his appearance soon?"

"It's going well."

Lelouch turned to see a certain red head in a certain bunny costume, considering she was his girlfriend it was hard for him to not stare at the rest of her body, but he managed to keep his pesky hormones at bay, for now.

"Kallen, you're back?"

The way he phrased the question would be hard to deduce as something more unless you knew what he was getting at, if she wasn't his Kallen then she would give a basic reply about sticking with him and the black knights, or wanting to speak with him... while pointing a gun in his direction. But if she was his Kallen, she would get the hint, hopefully. It was subtle but Kallen wasn't stupid by any stretch of the imagination.

For Kallen, it took her a moment to reply, on the one hand, it was different from last time, the first time this happened, he was confused, asking her why she wasn't on floor 21 as directed, on the other hand, his phrasing the question differently isn't a red flag. Something so small and trivial wasn't proof of him being her Lelouch. Though the way he said it gave her some hope, asking 'You're back?' could be his way of asking if she had came back with him without raising suspicion incase that wasn't what happened.

"In more ways then one."

There it was, that flicker of hope in his eyes, it was in that moment that she saw her Lelouch, she was sure of it.

"Its really you?"

She smiled and nodded.

He ran forward and embraced her in a hug, which shocked her, he wasn't known for openly displaying his emotions like this. 'What happened before must have really gotten to him.' She thought.

"I thought I lost you." There was a subtle crack in his voice, a wavering in the strength of his words. She slowly wrapped her arms around him in response.

"Its alright, I'm here, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." She whispered. It warmed her heart that he cared so deeply about her safety. After a few moments, Lelouch reluctantly let go when his radio beeped.

"Zero here." He answered.

"Britannian reinforcements are here-" She was cut off by a black knight. "There's Zillions of em here, what do we do!?"

"There's no way we can beat that many..." True enough when he glanced at the monitor it showed a neigh uncountable number of knightmare transports flying high and carrying Sutherlands circling the tower, as well as attack gunships, tanks, infantry, and stationary gun emplacements that had been set up. There was no doubt a G-1 command unit as well.

"They'll be coming in from above too like last time..." She muttered while taking a closer look at the monitor. As she said this dozens of fresh Sutherlands deployed from their air carriers. Smashing through windows on all floors, entering like commandos, more landed on the roof and blasted their way through the ceiling, and dozens more entered from below, blowing the barricades away and flooding in.

"Precisely, and we will destroy them just as before." He said while walking up next to her, looking down at the rest of her body and blushing, he immediately looked away and coughed, taking off his Ashford overcoat and draping it across her shoulders.

She turned red as a tomato, but smiled all the same, pulling it in closer while he examined the monitor.

"Viceroy Calares is here no doubt, escape would be difficult, but that is exactly why I will win..." He set out to work. "Kallen, you know what to do, head to your spot and start placing charges, I'll get in touch with C.C. and the others."

"Right." She nodded and started walking away, but stopped, turned around and gave him a kiss. His eyes widened a bit, but he relaxed into it. She pulled away and smiled at him before jogging out.

He did not stare at her ass along the way, even though she put a bit of extra sway in her step, he also didn't follow the hypnotic sway of her rear with his eyes.

Nope, not at all...

He turned red and spoke into his radio. "C.C. are you ready?"

"Yes, we have already set out to deploy the explosives."

Meanwhile on his command G-1 the ever smug and overconfident viceroy Calares sat in his little throne.

"Our ground assault team now has control up to floor J." An officer reported.

"That leaves only one escape the black knights can use." Another spoke

"And our main forces are right there waiting for them." Calares finished.

"Yes my lord, we just need to drive them out."

"Set up a broadcast link quickly. We'll make the extermination of these terrorists a media event. We shall show the Chinese our might, the might of Britannia!"

Lelouch chuckled while entering his Sutherland. "The enemy must feel certain of their victory..." He muttered, remembering how completely trashed the Britannian military was after he was through with them. "It clears all tasks at hand, that just leaves your level right?" He asked C.C.

"5 minutes till completion." She responded, her Burai placing another remote plastic explosive on the superstructure, there where many more connected to each other.

"Ahead of schedule compared to last time." He commented.

"I remembered this part of the plan so I figured I'd get a head start."

"Thanks for taking the initiative."

"Thanks for thanking me." She snarked.

"Well you know the drill, we will make a stand here while you finish."

"And what of Diethard?" She questioned

"Same as last time."

"Got it."

"Everything is going according to plan..." He muttered while loosening his collar, getting a bit more comfortable.

"This is B-2..." His radio crackled to life before the knight spoke. "We have a situation..."

'Rolo!' He thought. 'Damn, I can't believe I forgot about him... but... that's strange, B-2 wasn't taken out and all the IFF signals that disappeared the first time are still online...' He noticed. 'He must have come back as well, the old Rolo would have butchered my men just like last time.'

"B-2 are you still with me?"

"Uh, yes sir, it was strange, there was this knightmare. It was gold and blue with red and blue eyes, it looked a bit like the Lancelot, I think it was a mass production prototype but... the thing just... I dunno... disappeared... like it went invisible or teleported or something..."

"It's not hostile, do not engage, I repeat do _not_ engage. The pilot is an old agent of mine, mark him as a friendly." He commanded.

"Understood sir."

"Excellent, everyone meet up at rally point alpha-1."

"Yes lord Zero!" Dozens of friendly Burai and Sutherland class frames met up with Kallen, Urabe, and Lelouch in their respective knightmares. However, before anything else could be said, a gold and blue frame with red highlights and blue eyes appeared on the floor above and looked down on them. It vaulted over the rail and used a harken as a grappling hook to swing itself down to the main floor, landing in front of Lelouch and his two officers. It used its harkens to grind to a halt and quickly dropped to a knee in front of Lelouch's Sutherland.

'As I thought, you are back, good.' He hailed the knightmare with the built in com system, and it was received almost instantly. Rolo appeared on screen, smiling, but visibly confused.

"I don't understand it myself, but either way I'm glad to see you again." Lelouch responded to the unasked question with a smile of his own.

"I'm happy to see you too brother, what do you need me to do?"

"For now, we must part ways, I need you to feign loyalty to our enemies for the time being... and by the way, Rolo, you do remember what I said before about your geass right?"

Rolo looked away sheepishly, like a kid caught with a cookie jar. "Yes... but-"

"I know last time you used it in this instance you where fine, but I still worry, please don't use your geass unless its an emergency." Lelouch affirmed.

"I understand." Rolo replied and cut the connection, then his Vincent stood, and prepared to leave.

"Good news, we're done." C.C. spoke up suddenly on his radio.

"Perfect, everyone get ready to break for your designated zones..."

"Wait." Urabe cut him off.

Lelouch's Sutherland turned to look at Urabe's Gekka.

"Zero, I don't care what your identity is, you are the last hope for Japan, so If I don't make it, I want you to tell my comrades I'm sorry, and no matter what, I want you to promise me you will continue the good fight."

"Don't talk like that, you are not a sacrificial pawn, none of you are, you are all good men fighting for what you believe in and every man counts, so long as everyone follows my instructions and the enemy responds as expected then we will leave this place without suffering any further casualties. If you want to apologize to the swords you can say sorry to them for thinking you will die this day." Lelouch rebutted.

Urabe didn't have a response for that.

"Now!" Lelouch shouted while pressing the detonator. The whole building shook and rumbled as hundreds of explosives detonated in tandem with eachother, destroying key spots for the support of the superstructure, some dust and a few small rocks falling from the ceiling and landing on the black knight's frames while they looked up...

Suddenly, the floor dropped out from underneath them at a controlled rate, and they rode it down like an elevator...

Viceroy Calares in his G-1 shot up from his seat. "What's this!? A suicide attack!? Uncivilized monkeys!" He yelled as the building erupted into flames on several floors after explosions blew out on all sides.

"Contact lost with all uni- AHHHHHHHHH!" Hundreds of Britannian knightmares and soldiers where either crushed by debris or fell to their deaths as the building started to fall apart.

The building split in half from top to bottom, the left side collapsing down and to the side while the right remained standing for the moment. However it did not stay that way, the blimp above detonated, the resulting shockwave disturbed the second half, and it too began to collapse, the explosions and destruction of the building started to cause small earthquakes, soldiers and knightmares started falling out of the leaning half of the tower, and several choppers got smacked out of the sky with debris.

The leaning half of the tower began to fall down completely on the highway... the very one where the G-1 and the remainder of the army was stationed. Meanwhile Lelouch, Kallen, and Urabe led their group of knights down to a sublevel and met up with the remaining knights.

"Viceroy Calares sealed off his own escape route, and signaling his location made him easy to target." He explained to his knights from the Sutherland's loud speakers, allowing his men to absorb the info.

The building smashed the G-1 and the army to dust, along with the highway itself as the viceroy screamed in terror, the enemy was completely decimated in a matter of just a few minutes. Lelouch couldn't help but laugh as he did the first time, greatly amused by the ease with which he completed this mission and the incompetence of the enemy.

"Everyone, use the tunnels to get to the Chinese federation embassy, be sure to find a TV, you will see me in action once more very soon." He ordered.

"Yes sir!" The collective reply came as his knights entered the subterranean road, heading for the consulate. Kallen's Guren remained in place for a moment longer, looking at his Sutherland before leaving. The Vincent did the same, but instead of following, went back up to link with Britannian forces.

Lelouch took a moment to properly examine his handy work, before he himself sped off into the tunnels.

He had a show to put on for all of his fans after all...

* * *

A/N So, some people wanted Kallen to have her memories, some didn't, one wanted her to not remember so we could see Kallen get all flustered when he flirted (Its still gonna happen) The other wanted it for the emotional effect it would have on Lelouch, him loving her, but her not being the same one he remembered, breaking his heart on the inside.

They aren't bad ideas, but it just isn't in me, there will be some angst and light hearted moments as well as comedy, action, romance and drama, trust me, this wont disappoint you.

As for who else remembers and if Euphie came back still, I guess you will have to wait and see no?


	17. Imprisioned on campus

Guilford stood in front of his sons within the government beauro.

"I will go to the scene to direct emergency rescue operations. Alfred you contact the police. Bart, you remain here.

Suddenly all five of his adoptive sons stiffened up, looking at the screen behind him.

"But that's-" One of them began, he couldn't even finish his sentence and Guilford turned to the screen that went to static and was flickering images.

"What's wrong?"

The screen stopped flickering in varying shades of grey, and became a clear, full color image.

"I am, Zero!" The masked man declared, the outfit of Zero made itself known on the screen of the monitor and all across japan on every media outlet. "People of Japan, I have returned!"

"Kill the video!" One of the media technicians yelled at another.

"I cant! It wont take my access codes!"

Diethard Ried knocked over his drink and cigarette tray, picking up his small television monitor. "That's it, the omega line that I set up! And the only one who knows it... is Zero! Yes! I knew you where still alive!" He cheered with Sayoko and Rakshata smiling off to the side in the office.

"Hear me Britannia! All of you that have power! Heed my words carefully, I am burdened by sorrow.-" Kallen smiled softly off to the side, leaning against the wall, holding Lelouch's jacket just a bit closer. It might have only been C.C. at the moment, but they where his words.

"-War and discrimination, Malicious deeds carried out by the strong against the weak. The world has not changed, the people still suffer. That is why the resurrection of Zero was necessary. So long as the strong oppress the weak, my rebellion will continue to grow! It began today with my divine punishment of the inept and foolish viceroy Calares!"

"Hah, Zero sure knows to make an entrance." Gino said in his seat, speaking to the rest of the rounds. Suzaku did not respond. He only looked tired. "I mean Zero's dead isn't he?"

Suzaku said nothing, only staring at the screen.

"I will admit, his cunning and audacity is impressive." Xingke muttered, several other black knights, along with a Chinese noble and Kallen watched the performance live with trepidation.

"Its him, the real one!" Guilford yelled. "He used the collapsed building to mask their escape and enter the Chinese consulate! Damn it all!"

"We shall fight, against all those that abuse their power! Therefor once again, here and now I declare the establishment of the united states of Japan! From this moment, this room will be the first dominion of the USJ!"

"Ahahaha, a nation consisting of one room, that man is as amusing as ever." Rakshata commented.

"Race, ideology, and religion will not matter, being a citizen will have but one requirement, to do that which is just!"

Xingke stood still and strong as a statue outside of the building with several elite guards in olive green camo uniforms and helmets with masks covering their faces. "I trust you know what will happen if you attempt to force your way in?" He said to Britannian army units that circled the entrance.

"Hmph... very well, we will settle this diplomatically." Their officer agreed.

Rolo smiled fondly in his Vincent observing the debacle from a distance. His phone rang, and he answered after a moment.

"Hello?"

"Hey Rolo, its Villetta, Lelouch is with me at Ashford, making up for all the classes he missed. You should probably get back here too."

"Yes ma'am, I understand." His Vincent rose from its kneeling position and began to make its way back to Ashford.

In the consulate Kallen was watching the news, just as last time, Guilford took command since Calares was dead as dirt and buried under several thousand metric tones of glass, metal and concrete.

At that moment, C.C. dressed as Zero entered the room, and began to remove the helmet along with the cape.

"So, how did you enjoy the spotlight?" She asked the witch.

"Meh, it doesn't do much for me." She admitted dryly. "So, I take it you want to sneak your way back into Ashford to be all lovey dovey with pretty boy?"

"Shut it, witch."

Meanwhile Lelouch was cooking away with Milly.

He was wearing a frilly pink apron... it said kiss the cook in white on the front.

Oh how he hated Milly's antics sometimes.

"Lelouch open the oven please."

"Yeah yeah..." He opened it for her.

"Some salt."

He sprinkled some into the pot filled with stew.

"Frying pan." She reminded. He went on to check it.

"Fresh egg." He cracked one into a mixing bowl.

"Béchamel sauce!" She chirped, and he gave it a quick stir.

"Put the Gelato on another plate, oh and add the rosemary to the sorbet, then add the dill to the sauerkraut, the black forest cake needs-"

"Milly, give me a second, please, I can't do it all at once." He said in exasperation.

"Heh, sorry about that, but you're the only one I could call for help, Rivals has no sense of taste and she is-" Milly began to speak about Shirley, whom turned the power up on her mixer a bit too high. It cause batter to splatter all over the kitchen. She fell with a squeak and the bowl of batter landed on her.

"Aheh, sorry..." Shirley mumbled. "Damn, I though I would have improved since the last time..." She whispered to herself, causing Lelouch to stiffen ever so slightly.

"Here, let me get you a towel." Lelouch helped her up and handed her a towel.

"T-thanks." She muttered.

"Of course. So, madam president, might I ask something."

"Sure."

"We are celebrating me and Rolo returning alive right?"

"Oh yes, you should have seen it, Shirley was having a meltdown. 'Oh if my Lulu's been killed I-" Meanwhile, the orange haired girl was freaking out bumbling over to the conversation and trying to shut Milly the hell up before something happened.

"Hey, where's Rolo?" Rivals asked.

"Oh, I spoke to him but he is more sensitive than Lelouch here." Milly spoke through Shirley's hands, which where clasped over her mouth.

"Probably why he doesn't have any friends, the poor guy."

"He's just the quiet type is all." Shirley mumbled, though she didn't sound so sure of herself.

"Shirley, not that I mind your dirty hands on my mouth but-"

"A-oh, sorry..." She mumbled, stepping back.

'Hmph, just like last time they remember nothing of Nunnally.' Lelouch thought sourly. It wasn't their fault of course.

'Damn it Charles, it was so much easier to hate you when I didn't know your intentions, still I cant forget what you did to us, and I certainly wont forgive you anytime soon.'

While this was happening Rolo was riding down an elevator, when it opened in a sub level of the academy he stepped out and slid a key card through a lock, opening a door that led to a security room filled with OSI operatives and Villetta Nu.

'Oh how badly I wish to kill you all, but I can't, not yet, big brother wants to stick to the script so we can stay safe until he figures out what he wants to do. That and I promised him I would stop killing unless I needed to.'

He walked in and took a seat at the conference table, resting his right leg on his left knee, and pulling out the pendant Lelouch had given him.

"Even after the Babel tower incident Lelouch Lamperouge has shown no special changes." An intelligence officer reported.

"There are 180 cameras on campus, as well as 47 undercover observers..." The field operative at the table took a glance at Rolo. "Make that 48, we found no clues or information that could connect Lelouch with the destruction of Carthage's unit."

"Surveillance is perfect, he has no opportunity to use his geass. If he is Zero it would be odd if he where to return here to the school." Villetta said smugly

'Oh you poor, stupid, _stupid_ girl, you are all dead, it just isn't official yet, Lelouch has you right where he wants you.' He mocked darkly in his own head. "And the status of C-2?" Rolo questioned offhandedly.

"If she's not in close proximity to Lelouch then odds are very slim that she would be in the consulate." Villetta replied.

'Sure, and I'm a member of the royal family... ok so one of them adopted me and it is technically true in that regard but still.' He thought. "So the situation is the same as before, you still haven't a clue where she is?" He jabbed.

"Those of us in the OSI will continue our mission to capture her, people continue observing the bait as you have been."

"Yes, my lord." The other operatives replied, standing up from their seats.

Lelouch began to continue his daily activities, after the party of course, Rolo showed up this time and they made some small talk, though he and Shirley seemed to avoid each other like the plague. That was something he had to fix at some point. Shirley was no where near as cautious around him last time...

'Meaning she came back as well... still, I can worry about that later, first thing first, kill those shmucks that are spying on me and confront Villetta. Perhaps I can work out a more stable deal with her this time.' He didn't like her at all, but she made Ohgi happy, as much as he hated what the former school teacher did to him the guy was going to be given another chance... though he would keep a more watchful eye.

"Lelouch, make sure you come to class tomorrow you hear?" She said in that fake friendly tone, he noticed Rolo, who was slightly behind and to the right of her, roll his eyes. Lelouch laughed.

"Don't worry coach, you should have more faith in me..."

Rolo winked at him.

'This is going to be easy...'

Later on, Lelouch and Rolo met up in the student council room, they where looking at the photo album, while Lelouch certainly remembered them, it just didn't feel right with Nunnally missing from the pictures... as for Nina?

'Crazy bitch...'

"You know, I can't decide weather I want to hate or admire all the crazy stuff Milly does, on the one hand it drives us nuts, but her energy and friendly attitude is endearing." Rolo admitted, sitting in his chair backwards and leaning his head onto the back end with his arms under his chin.

"I know what you mean, trust me I can't decide either." Lelouch admitted, leaning back into his chair.

"Well, I have to go talk to the coach, I'll be back in a little bit." He moved to get up.

"Hey wait, about the locket..." Lelouch began, Rolo flinched.

"Don't worry Rolo I don't want to take it away, I was just wondering if you would like for us to go have it repainted, maybe it could be something we do to pass time while we wait for things to go into motion."

Rolo brightened up. "Yeah, that's sounds great brother... but... why?"

"Its has pink as a secondary color... I don't want people to make fun of you for it, you know, assuming you're gay or something. Maybe a dark purple or blue?" He recommended.

"Oh, good idea, but I can't be late, we can talk about it later. Bye." He waved at Lelouch while walking out the door.

Lelouch turned back to his computer and continued to look through the album.

* * *

"There has been no change in behavior, there is no evidence that he has regained his memory or used his geass." Rolo reported to Nu. They where in a large concrete room with what, as far as he was concerned, was a sewer running through it.

She sighed. "The Order wont divulge the nature of his geass due to its religious content..."

That was one of their operatives walked in. "Ah, sorry to interrupt, I see that you're busy, I'll just come back later-"

Rolo turned to the interloper.

"Rolo no wait-!"

He activated his geass. 'Sorry brother, but considering the knowledge of geass is at stake I think this constitutes as an emergency.' He strolled over to the man and hit a nerve at the base of his neck. Then he deactivated his geass.

"He's one of us don't... uh..." Villetta stopped yelling, seeing that the chest of the man was still rising and falling.

"What? I'm an assassin, not a murderer, you can take him to interrogation, if he didn't hear us, let him go, if he did, you can cross that bridge when you come to it. Is this meeting over?"

"Ah, yes, you can go now..." She muttered.

He nodded and strolled out of the sewer.

* * *

Kallen got out of the shower, having just finished getting cleaned up, she draped a towel over herself, she briefly glanced at the coat Lelouch gave her and smiled, then blushed remembering the bunny suit was underneath it. The way Lelouch reacted when he saw her wearing it was... nice. She began to get dressed and prepared for a meeting with C.C.

In the student council room at Ashford, Lelouch glared at the screen before him, once more Guilford was making a scene with his knights on display, over 260 of his surviving black knights and they where going to execute them all if he didn't show up.

Lelouch would show up, this time, he would give the knight his honorable duel, and he would win, while he lacked proper experience in one on one melee combat with knightmares and he certainly wasn't on par with Suzaku and certainly not Kallen. But he was the son of Marianne the flash, he had natural talent, and if he had a proper knightmare, not a crappy Burai, he could probably beat Guilford.

Besides, his natural ability to think on the fly would help.

That's when Shirley walked into the room.

"Hey Shirley, can you help me with something? I was wondering if you would help me pick out a present for miss Villetta's birthday." He asked kindly.

She seemed shocked, her mouth opening and closing for a few seconds before simply smiling and nodding.

Rolo, who was standing outside the door nodded to himself, covering for his brother should be easy enough with these morons he worked with... He turned around and after walking only a few feet around the corner he met up with the she-devil herself.

'Right... these lunatics.' Rolo bemoaned.

* * *

A/N Oh Rolo you poor bastard, I guess this is karma for shooting Shirley, don't worry, you'll get back to less stressful situations than Milly's antics soon, like war, politics, and assassination.

Edit: This is just a small A/N since 2 people already commented on it, yes, I know Darlton was the original father of the 5 sons, 2 of which where mentioned above, but since he got blown to hell in the first season, Guilford adopted them and took control of the glaston knights, OK?


	18. Back in black

A/N to those complaining that I don't know anything due to saying they are Darlton's children, not Guilford's please see A/N at the end of previous chapter.

* * *

The shopping trip was a bore, no need to pull a fast one when Lelouch already had Rolo on his side, Shirley enjoyed it, that was to be sure, and the rest of the student council had fun pretending to be spies observing their date.

Although, Shirley seemed surprised when Lelouch didn't ask her to help him prank their friends, passing right by the shop used last time.

In the end, they got Villetta a bottle of wine and a nice dress, Lelouch had the money after all, the black prince had long since taken to hiding his funds from robbing the nobility blind in private banks and multiple accounts. Only his 1 official account was tampered with and had eyes on it, so he just didn't touch it.

They arrived back at school with no incidents. After that, he paid a certain unsuspecting Britannian knightmare hangar a visit and asked a few _favors_.

After that, he hid his newest prize and made his way down to the OSI observation center, just as he had asked before stealing from the military, Rolo told them that he had priority information for all of them and had to all meet, except Villetta, whom Rolo was only just informing now if everything was on schedule.

He left the elevator, swiped the ID card that Rolo gave him and casually entered the room, they where all so busy speaking to each other they didn't even bother looking in his direction until he cleared his throat, they all turned at nearly the same time, and he smirked at their surprised faces.

"Obey."

And obey they did...

* * *

Meanwhile at the Chinese embassy, Xingke was a bit confused, the eunuch before him seemed most concerned with helping Zero, and Recognizing the USJ.

"I assure you my intentions are for the best of the federation and our empress. The loss of the black knights a year ago was a fluke, we all recognized that. We are aiding them because they could prove to be a valuable ally, or at least an asset in the future when they succeed in driving Britannia from Japan."

"Did you do this without the empress's decision?" Xingke pried.

"Hmph, I admit, I did not console her on this, but she is only a child, whom does not yet know how to properly run the nation or deal with outsiders. That is why we eunuchs hold stuart-ship until she is of age, remember?" The eunuch countered.

"I see... very well, I will continue to help the knights." He agreed and walked away.

Not long after, lord Guilford re entered his Gloucester, and awaited Zero.

It took a couple hours, but just as he was about to speak, the crowd behind him began to stir. His Gloucester turned around observed a knightmare, it had a tattered grey cloak covering most of its body and head, though one could see a dim violet light emitting from the face of the machine.

"So you came, I am pleased, for a moment I thought of you as a coward." Guilford said through his speaker.

"I am no such thing, you threatened to kill my friends, I refuse to allow it."

"Even though you left them to die on the final day of the black rebellion?"

"Guilford, what would you do if someone you loved was placed in mortal peril, would you continue your mission, knowing they could die, or would you drop everything to save them?"

The black knights began to convers amongst themselves.

"A loved one... yes, I would drop everything to keep them safe." Guilford admitted, his mind straying to Cornelia.

"Then you can understand my position. The only family I had left was in danger that day, out of panic, I left, and for that, my knights, I am forever sorry, I know that my words mean little, but I never intended to abandon you that day." The cloaked knightmare turned its head to look at the knights, its purple vision passing over each of his old commanders before his sight landed back on Guilford.

"I see... then perhaps you do have some semblance of honor after all." Guilford admitted.

"Indeed, I am here for our match. As you are the challenger I have conditions of my own."

"Name them."

"First, no matter what happens, my knights go free, and are not allowed to be prosecuted for the same crime unless they are caught continuing after this duel."

"Very well, next?"

"This will be on submission or inability to continue, not to the death or first blood, just as I wont attempt to kill you I expect to be delivered the same courtesy."

"Done, anything else?"

"Two more, firstly, should I lose I expect to be taken in for a proper trial and investigation."

"Fine, what is your last?"

"We each only use one weapon for our match, one on one, no interference. Should any of your knights make an attempt on my life or aid you in any way then you automatically forfeit the match. I go free with my knights if I win."

"You have made quite a few demands, what can I expect in return?"

"If you win, as I said, I come with you without resisting arrest. Furthermore, I may be willing to divulge certain information in exchange for agreeing to making a deal during my time in your captivity."

"And what could you possibly know that I desire to hear?"

"I know where Cornelia is at this very moment, and exactly what she is doing, I like to keep tabs on potential enemies."

Guilford's hear stopped for a moment, his eyes widening before calming down.

"So be it, I swear on the name of my princess that I will uphold my side of the bargain."

"Good, and I swear on my promise to liberate Japan that I shall uphold mine."

"You truly think you can defeat Britannia?" He asked in mild surprise.

"We are here for a fight Guilford, not to play 20 questions." Lelouch jabbed.

"I simply wish to understand my opponent, but if that is what you want, then so be it." He detached his harkens, machinegun, and swords, throwing his rifle away, and pulled out his lance.

"For Cornelia!" He rushed Zero with his land spinners on full power.

His lance was deflected, and he was thrown to the side. When he turned around, the Knightmare was holding an MVS. Its left arm appeared from under its cloak, and ripped off the cloth, revealing it to be a black Gloucester with gold trim.

The Gloucester spun its blade a few times before Lelouch gave him a mock salute.

"Engard Guilford!" Zero's knightmare advanced, its sword readied for a quick slash at the right, but as Guilford moved to block, the black Gloucester pivoted and spun in the opposite direction, Guilford attempted to dodge, but even so the blade caught his shoulder, slicing it open and nicking a few wires.

Guilford quickly pulled back and examined the damage while keeping an eye on Zero.

"Not bad." He admitted.

"Coming from you that's high praise, but lets get back to it."

They silently began to circle each other, their footwork extensive, resorting to moving the feet instead of land spinners, one step after another, they both waited, looking for something, a misstep, a stumble, a misplaced foot or accidental twitch.

Without warning Guilford suddenly charged again, with little distance between them Lelouch dodged, but the lance still tore at what would be his knightmare's left ribcage. Lelouch responded with a quick thrust of his MVS, piercing the lower right abdomen of Guilford's machine as it passed before ripping it out with a quick twitch of its wrist, causing a deep laceration.

Guilford countered by giving his spear a broad sweep, its sharp tip cutting across the chest of the black Gloucester as it pulled back. Their actions where lightning quick and sparks flew with each blow made. The giant metal beasts where in a dance of death now as their movements grew quicker and more erratic, yet coordinated and graceful, for every thrust Guilford threw he got a glancing blow, and in return the black Gloucester would swing with its red blade chipping away at Guilford's frame, neither one was willing to let up.

It ended however, when Lelouch threw a blazing fast downward stroke, Guilford moved to block by holding his lance above his head, this was exactly what Lelouch expected and hoped for. As the blade came down, he pulled it back, the tip of the sword missing the tough exterior of the lance by mere centimeters. Before Guilford could realise what was happening, Lelouch quickly thrusted forward, cutting into the lower chest of the purple knightmare. The blade went all the way through, going out the back. Zero's Gloucester brutally twisted the blade in Guilford's machine, pressing further in before dragging it all the way through and to the left. Sparks flying as wires where cut, tubes filled with coolant erupting and spewing like blood, shards of metal clattering on the ground as the armor was ripped apart.

Guilford's knightmare began to shut down, but he wasn't out of the fight yet. He quickly brought the lance down in a final attempt to deal a fatal blow to Lelouch's knightmare. His movements may have been fast but his knightmare had grown sluggish with the damage it sustained, Lelouch avoided the blow, and the golden spear buried itself into concrete, Lelouch cut off one of the hands of the purple Gloucester which where both still attached to the lance. He then flipped the sword in his hand, holding it by the blade with both limbs now, and swung the blunt end at the head of the enemy frame, the solid tungsten and steel composite handguard smashed into the face of the opposing Gloucester, sending pieces of splintered metal and sparks flying upon impact. The head snapped up and to the side at an unnatural angle.

Guilford's frame took a step back, its remaining hand letting go of the lance... then two... then three... its coolant leaking from several deep cuts and holes in the body, sparks flying. It stumbled in place, going limp, its arms hanging there, swaying slightly with the movement of the damaged war machine. Its fingers twitching slightly.

It finally fell to its knees, and then to the right. Guilford climbed out of the cockpit a moment later and stood atop his knightmare.

He glared at Zero before closing his eyes in acceptance.

"You win, you and your black knights may go."

Lelouch's knightmare put its sword back in its sheath, saluted Guilford and picked up its grey cloak, wrapping it around the kneck of the frame and walking over to the cages that his black knights where being kept in.

"Come on, lets get you out of here."

* * *

"Long live the black knights, hip hip Hooooooooray!" Tamaki Cheered, throwing his prisoners uniform into the air along with many others, much how one would toss their cap after graduation.

While their attention was turned to giant crates holding new uniforms, Kallen stood off in the distance, smiling fondly at her fellow knights. However, after they got their uniforms, the knights turned to Zero, some holding in whispers and holding silent conversations, others keeping silent.

Chiba however, spoke up, her accusations made clear as she questioned him.

He did not immediately reply, but when he was about to answer, none other than Urabe himself climbed the small set of stairs and stood next to Zero.

"I don't care." He said plainly and simply to the crowd, they began to grow louder, voicing their concerns.

"Urabe?" Tohdoh asked.

"I believe in him, I cant tell you what I know because I was sworn to secrecy by his advisor, but what I can say is that he cares, I asked him to tell you I was sorry if I didn't make it, and do you know what he said? Zero said I could apologize to you myself for thinking I could give up my life so readily. If he wishes to keep his identity and life behind the mask secret, then let him. The black rebellion was nearly perfect, and wouldn't have even happened if it weren't for his leadership. I vouch for him, he is human under the mask, leaving in the middle of the battle was a tactical blunder but I have no doubt he did it for good reason, he is only human after all. That's enough for me."

Silence passed over the crowd until finally Tamaki spoke up. "He's right, we still believe in you Zero!"

The crowd stirred itself into a fervor, and began to cheer his name with rapturous applause.

"Zero, Zero, Zero, Zero, Zero!"

Kallen grinned and made her way inside, tomorrow would be very fun.

* * *

Villetta Nu sat at the conference table in the middle of the observation room, her laptop open in front of her, she had just sent a very important email.

 **Flashback**

She briskly walked into the room, it appeared empty at first, until she noticed Lelouch sitting at the end of the table. Her eyes widened, and she made to take a step back, but she felt something poke into her back. She turned around to see Rolo holding a knife to her spine. She looked back at Lelouch.

"Wanted to gloat before killing me?" She asked fearfully, but with a dry undertone.

"Not at all, I want to make a deal, Rolo is only there to make sure you don't do anything stupid. Please, take a seat." She reluctantly stepped forward and sat in a chair at the opposite end of the table.

"Villetta, I want to let you know right now, we can both walk away with what we want when this whole thing is over."

Villetta raised an eyebrow.

"I am aware of your relationship with one of my commanders."

Her eyes widened a fraction before gritting her teeth.

"Calm down, I don't care, if you want to be with him I am only too happy to oblige. I want to make a deal with you Villetta."

"A deal?" She asked suspiciously.

"Correct, my offer is this, you continue to report to your superiors that C.C. has not attempted to contact me and that my memories remain firmly locked, in exchange, I'll pay you, allow you to keep your titles and may potentially elevate you, and will help you and Ohgi stabilize your relationship."

"So, you only want me to lie to my boss, and you'll do all that for me?"

"You have an important role to play Villetta, and I need you to do your part. You do as I ask, and I can provide everything you want and more, all I need is your loyalty. Do this, and you will be able to live your life with Ohgi without anyone judging you."

"...Alright... Alright I'm in." She agreed.

He smiled, getting up, she did the same, but made sure not to do anything too quickly or erratically, still fearing a knife in her back. He shook her hand.

"Pleasure doing business with you lady Nu, oh and happy birthday." He grabbed a bag from Rolo and handed it to her before making his leave, the younger brother following close behind.

 **Flashback End**

Her mission was to lie to her superiors, do that and Lelouch would give her what she wanted, as reluctant as she was to do so, the offer was too good to pass up.

And so, she sent an email to them, it was a giant, bold faced lie saying that there was no change, it usually took them about 5 minutes to respond, if they had reason to believe she was lying, and thus committing treason, they wouldn't even bother replying, they would just send the nearest loyal agent to slit her throat.

And if they believed her, all she would get was a reminder to report in on the next scheduled date.

And so she stared at the infernal screen of her laptop in anxiousness, the seconds ticking by, it was driving her mad. Then it happened.

~Understood continue standard observation, report in at 17:00 hours 3 days from now~

She let out a giant sigh of relief, pulling up the bottle of wine Lelouch got her and popping the cork with her thumb and releasing a pop, the object smacking into the ceiling and then falling to the floor.

She put it to her lips, tilted her head back, and began to chug.

* * *

A/N So what do you think?

Also, as a reply to a recent review, I didn't want to leave Rolo behind, I have a soft spot for the poor guy, he was orphaned, brainwashed into loyalty to a bunch of crazy assholes in the OSI, given a geass that could kill him, and sent out to murder people, I just didn't have it in me to have Lelouch mind-fuck him again.


End file.
